The One Left Behind
by ashez2ashes
Summary: An alternate universe where Ryouga is Ranma's brother. However, Ranma doesn't know he exists...or that Ryoga is hellbent on revenge...
1. Part1

Disclaimer: Don't own Ranma 1/2.  
  
Note: This is an alternate universe fic. Please give it a chance. The first chapter isn't representative of the rest of the story.  
  
Contact Info:  
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com  
  
  
----  
The One Left Behind  
  
Part One  
  
----  
I hate him; him and his son. It's all their fault. All the pain . . . all her pain. I wasn't good enough for them. I was just the "defective child", just to be swept under the table and forgotten. I can even remember the old man writing something to mom along the lines of "If one of them dies we'll have a back up!" I hate that bastard.   
  
Second best my entire life. No matter how hard I tried I was always the understudy, never the star. I don't want the spotlight for long . . . just for a little while. I want to be counted. Is that so much to ask?  
  
I hate standing in his shadow! Always being compared to him. Every little victory I earn I hear... HE could have done better. Why can't you be more like your brother they'd say. HE would have been able to win that fight faster. HE wouldn't be so shy around girls.  
  
Why did she believe in him? What made him do no wrong in her eyes? To her dying breath, she believed he had done the right thing; that nothing in their arrangment was screwed up all to hell.  
  
I'm never letting myself fall in love. It only brings pain and suffering. Her love made her blind. I had no such problems.  
  
I can still remember her last moments.  
  
"Honey?" she had asked. Her pale hand clutched my arm. She looked very frail and tired. The disease had ravaged her quickly. The doctors had said if they had caught it in time she would have been able to have a full recovery. A lot good it did her then! Idiots, they go to college for a million years to tell us that she's going to die and there's nothing we can do?!  
  
"What is it mom?" I had asked trying to hold back my tears. After all, real men don't cry.  
  
"Find your father and brother. Help them continue the family school." The family school could rot in hell for all I cared. I didn't show it in my outer appearance though. She deserved for her last moments to be those of peace and contentment. They had caused her so much pain. So many nights she had spent crying herself to sleep. She had thought I hadn't heard, but I did. I knew.  
  
"I'll find them," I told her clasping my warm hand into her pale one. It wasn't a complete lie. I was going to find them.  
  
"That's my boy." She touched my face gently and then shuddered violently. I watched the light drain out of her eyes. Finally the light disappeared, and her eyes became lifeless. I had lifted my hand over her face and closed her beautiful eyes. She was dead.  
  
I had never felt so alone. Always she had been there to watch over me. To tell me to get up because it wasn't manly to sit in the dirt and cry. . . . Uh, maybe that wasn't the best memory.   
  
At least, she had been happy in her last moments. I couldn't be the son she wanted. I couldn't be HIM, but at least I could give her peace before she passed on.  
  
I shook my head and brought myself out of my thoughts. What am I doing? Thinking this much isn't like me. I need to focus.  
  
I clinched mom's locket tighter into my hands.  
  
I stopped at the crest of a hill and let the wind flow down my hot sweaty face. The trail I had been following seemed to be endless. When was the last time I had eaten anyway?  
  
A town spread before me in a valley. At my current altitude, the town looked like childrens' doll houses lined up in neat little rows. I felt if I reached my hand out far enough, I could crush them with my fist.  
  
Not that I go around crushing kid's doll houses all the time or anything.  
  
"He's probably not there but I still have to check." Why was I talking to myself? What am I worrying for? There's no one else to talk to.  
  
Heh, If I develop another personality I might not be so damn lonely anymore.  
  
I tucked the locket I had been gazing at back under my shirt and cautiously started down the steep hill.  
  
He probably isn't here . . . but what if he was? Could I kill my own brother? Was that what I wanted to do?   
  
I tried to clear my mind of my nonsense thoughts. I was after revenge. I can't lose sight of my goal or I'll be lost forever. There's no use worrying about the future. I'll burn that bridge when I come to it.  
  
The village was small and homely. Farm animals and barefooted children roamed the streets. I walked over to an older man that was sweeping his front steps.  
  
"Excuse me sir, do you know if anyone by the name of Ranma Saotome has been by here?"  
  
The villager rubbed his beard in thought. "Well I do happen to recollect a young man using that name pass through here a little while ago."  
  
"Which way did he go?" Finally a lead!  
  
The man turned and pointed down a narrow road. "He went down that there road a few days ago."  
  
"Thank you sir!" I turned and ran toward the road. Finally my revenge . . . or was it her revenge? Well, some kind of revenge was at hand.  
  
"Such a polite boy," I heard the villager mumble as I ran off into the distance. "Went the wrong way though."  
  
----  
  
Where is that path? It was here just a moment ago. Trust it to them to take the hardest way possible. He probably knows I'm after them and they're going through the forest just to show off.  
  
Tree . . . tree . . . tree . . . god this place is boring! Night's falling too. I'll have to set up camp soon. Some damn wild animal will probably come; ravage my camp while I'm asleep. But hey, I might as well look on the bright side. Then I get to kill him.  
  
After a few hours of trudging aimless through underbrush filled with sharp jagged thorns, I decided to set up camp. It wasn't safe to keep going. Someone walking around in the dark could end up walking off a mountain or falling into a river . . . not that I ever did those things.  
  
The golden sun had set over the horizon, casting the forest into shadows. The rough cloak I wore didn't do much to keep out the cold. Holes tend to make clothes not as warm... What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right? . . . I don't believe it either but that's what mom used to tell me.  
  
I didn't have much to set up. With a pack as big as mine, there should have been. I found a spring and a few wild mushrooms and cooked them. They tasted horrible. I really need to learn how to cook. I don't care if it's manly or not. I need to learn. A man can't survive on mushrooms alone. I hate mushrooms. If I never ate another one of those stupid things in my entire life, I would be content. . . Well that and if I had my revenge.  
  
I stared at the fire as it crackled and burned. The flames jumped and spun in a chaotic dance of nature. It was rather poetic actually. Heh people would be surprised that I, the mindless powerhouse of destruction, writes poetry. It's nothing to be ashamed of.   
  
But if anyone finds out I'll kill them!  
  
My eyes darted across the edge of the clearing looking for wild animals that like to ravage poor unsuspecting travelers. I wasn't dispointed. Two eyes glinted off the moonlight for a split second. An animal was hiding in the thicket. It probabley just hung around the woods, waiting for stupid travelers to stop by. This time it wouldn't be so easy for him.  
  
He poked his stupid nose out of the thicket. He sniffed about and finally emerged fully, looking deceptively innocent. Stupid boars, I hate boars. They remind me of . . . _HER_. I'm about to go to sleep soon better not think about all that.  
  
I usually like animals, all animals except stupid pigs that is. Does he really think he's fooling anyone?!  
  
Well at least a good thing will come about from it. I won't have to eat mushrooms for awhile. I reached into my pack slowly and grabbed my umbrella...   
  
Five minutes later, I had enough food to last me for two weeks.  
  
----  
  
The days passed by like roaming phantasms. Or whatever poetic way you can say it got dark and light again a couple of times. I think I'm getting closer. I had passed through a town where someone had told me that an arrogant martial artist had passed through. He beat up a couple of local fighters, declared them to be not worth his time, and then skipped town. Someone said he even looked like me. No old man with him though. Maybe he died? . . . Nah wishful thinking. I'm not that lucky.  
  
If I hurry, I can catch him in the next town. Where is the town anyway? I think I forgot to ask. The path's starting to look more refined and up kept. Maybe I'm going the right way.  
  
The sky overheard was bright and filled with fluffy white clouds that did nothing to block out the sun. Little annoying blue birds sung their happy chirpy songs. In the distance, a small town shone like a lamp in the night. It took me only a few minutes to reach it. Once there, I stopped to ask a local where I was.  
  
"Excuse me do you know if a Ranma Saotome has passed by here?"  
  
"Oh well, a young man by that name just bought something from my cart." An old decrepid man hunched over his cart and adjusted his straw hat to cover his eyes from the sun.  
  
"Where did he go?"  
  
"He's right over there." The man pointed to his left.  
  
" . . . what?!"  
  
YES! Finally my revenge was at hand! I threw my pack to the ground and grabbed my umbrella. I charged and jumped, holding my umbrella over my head, ready to strike. There was no way he was getting away now!  
  
"Prepare to die Ranma!" He looked up in surprise--  
and stepped to the side. The last thing I thought before I crashed into a fish stand was: Maybe I shouldn't have given away the element of surprise?  
  
I slammed into the fish stand and subsequently took out the glass makers stand too. Little pieces of glass stuck into my skin and fish guts soaked into my cloths.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" Ranma asked. I pulled myself from the wreckage and glared at him. He wore camouflage pants, black cut-off shirt, combat boots, and a black bandanna. He did look like me...  
  
"How dare you not know who I am!" I pulled off some of my bandanna's and threw them at him. The jerk calmly dodged as if they weren't even a challenge. He turned his head and looked at me coldly.  
  
"Listen you idiot. I'm not who you think I am."  
  
"What's wrong Ranma? Don't recognize your own brother?!" Ranma's stony face twitched and he started to . . . laugh? What the hell?  
  
"Moron, obviously you can't. I'm not your brother."  
  
"No way! You look exactly like me!" His mild amusement faded away and he started to glow red. What was he doing?  
  
"Whatever, you're annoying me." He extended his hand which radiated red Chi. Uh oh. It's never good when people start glowing red.  
  
It was too late to dodge and blocking wouldn't make any difference. In other words, I was complexly screwed.  
  
"Ranma Saotome! Today is the day I pay you back for making every day of my life a living hell!" I looked up and saw a figure silohetted against the sunlight. Time seemed to slow down as Ranma turned around. The figure pulled the biggest spatula I had ever seen from behind his back and slammed Ranma in the head with it. Ranma fell to the ground as his assasilant leaped away from him. The figure with the spatula landed a few dozen feet away. I glared at the intruder.  
  
"Who the hell are you?! I was gettting revenge first so back off!"  
  
The figure, it was a guy now I could tell, had long haired pulled back in a tight ponytail. He had a chef's uniform on and held his spatula in the ready position.  
  
"The name's Ukyou Kounji, and you better move over little boy or your going to get hurt." He started to turn back around. I think Ranma was getting back up. Whatever, I had more important things to do. There's no way some crazy chef guy was going to rob me of my revenge. I picked up my umbrella and threw it in the air.  
  
He noticed it arching back toward him and ducked, but he didn't duck my fist.  
  
"Little boy huh! I'm taller than you!"   
  
Ukyou rolled with my punch and came back to his feet. A barrage of small spatulas shot from his hands. I backflipped, barely missing the razor sharp spatulas as they embedded themselves into the ground, and picked up my umbrella from the ground.  
  
"Go away this is my fight!" he screamed, lunging for me.  
  
"Hell no! I've got way more history with him than you do!"  
  
Is it just me, or is the whole place glowing red? No matter, I'll just pound this guy's face first and worry about it later.  
  
"I don't know what your problem is, but I'm not Ranma. I'm Ryu Kumon. Not that it matters now."   
  
We turned back to look at him and he pointed. An enormous chi blast shot from his hands and slammed into us. I felt like I was trapped in a vacuum--  
  
and then everything went blank.  
  
----  
  
Ugh. My head is killing me and I'm having a hard time focusing. It's so tempting just to stay here; a world without pain, without suffering. But it would be a lie wouldn't?  
  
My eyes opened and light flooded my senses. I was partially buried under a ton of rubble. I clawed my way out, pushing large pieces of brick and rock out of my way. Heh, a building must have been hit too.  
  
That guy, Ryu I think his name was, must have been a good shot. All of the other buildings were left mostly intact. The windows of all the neighboring shops were shattered, though. It must have been from the shockwave. No dead bodies on the ground. That's good. The villagers must have had enough sense to get out of way.  
  
Standing painfully, I felt several joints pop back into place, each sending jolts of pain through my body. I could think of nicer ways to wake up, but I'm tough. I'll be ok. Looking around, I noticed the end of a spatula and a hand sticking out from the rubble. I limped over. It took awhile to remove all the rocks, but he was alive. The guy must be tougher than I thought.  
  
The jerk, I can't leave him here. Ranma must have done something horrible to him. I picked him up and threw him over my shoulder. He was pretty light . . .  
  
I couldn't find a doctor so I camped in a clearing instead. Find some firewood, strike a match, I could do it in my sleep. Ukyou better appreciate this, I let him lay on my sleeping bag and everything. He also better wake up soon. I'm getting bored.  
  
Ukyou grumbled and rolled over. He took his time waking up, moaning and groaning like a baby. If he complained any more, you'd think he was a girl. This guy thought he had a shot against Ranma? I'll be doing him a favor by defeating Ranma. I was practically saving his life!  
  
"Wake up Idiot."   
  
He stood up and opened his eyes. The guy looked around, while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What happened?"   
  
"We got hit by a big chi blast."  
  
"I know that stupid but how did I get here?"  
  
"I carried you." I shrugged and turned to tend the instant Ramen that was cooking over a fire. Through the corner of my eye, I could see him looking at me in surprise. I finished stirring the food and turned back toward him.  
  
"Well, thanks but I can take care of myself," he grumbled.   
  
"Gee your welcome." That's gratitude for ya. I carried him all this way to . . . well wherever we are. He situated himself into a lotus position and leveled a wary glare at me.  
  
"Who are you and what do you want with Saotome?"   
  
I ignored him and turned back to the ramen for a moment, pausing deliberately to aggravate him. After a few moments, I turned back and looked at him calmly.  
  
"My name's Ryouga."  
  
"Ryouga what?"  
  
"Just Ryouga. I don't have a last name."   
  
He raised an eyebrow but didn't push the subject.  
  
"Ok . . . Ryouga. What do you want with Saotome?"  
  
"Revenge. Weren't you paying attention?"  
  
"I know that jackass! I meant, what history do you have with him? Why do you want revenge? Am I being simple enough? Do you need little diagrams and pictures?"  
  
"Hey! What about you? What business do you have with Ranma?"  
  
"I asked you first!"  
  
"I saved your life didn't I?"   
  
Ukyou shifted uncomfortabley on the ground.   
  
"You owe me. So I think it's only right that you go first."   
  
He sighed and conceded defeat. "All right, I'll go first. He was my fiancee and he ran off with my fathers cart. I was left crying in the dirt."  
  
I almost knocked my cooking off the fire. Ranma was engaged to a guy?! Just when you think the old man couldn't stoop any lower! Ranma, Mr. Epitome of Manliness, was engaged to a guy!  
  
"BWHAHAHAHAHA!" This was too great. My sides started to hurt I was laughing so hard. "Ranma's engaged to a guy! HAHAHAHHA!" Ukyou blinked and seemed to realize what he had just said.  
  
"Did I say me? Oops I meant uh . . . my sister! He jilted my sister. Heh, yeah that's what I meant." Oh, that makes more sense.  
  
I stopped laughing and regained a semi-serious composure.  
  
"That sounds like Genma. Anything raised by him is the spawn of evil." Wait, wouldn't that make me the spawn of evil too? Well technically I wasn't raised by him but . . . uh . . . Damn, I've got to think up better analogies.  
  
Something about this isn't right. If there had been some kind of honor pact, wouldn't a Saotome still be required to fulfill the agreement? . . . Ah hell! That bastard! He knew that all along! Good thing she isn't here then I'd be in real trouble.   
  
"Heh good thing she isn't here." Did I say that out loud?   
  
"Why'd you say that?"  
  
"Err never mind. Ukyou where are you from?"  
  
"Yokohama, but stop trying to change the subject." Note to self, if I ever find myself in Yokohama get out of there very, very fast.   
  
"It's your turn to tell your story," he continued. I couldn't help but grin.  
  
". . .Changed my mind."  
  
"No fair!"  
  
"Whoever said life was fair?"   
  
I chuckled at his expression. Wow what a change. For once, I was the one making someone angry instead of the other way around. I reached over, pulled an extra bowl from my pack. The ramen was done and smelled great. I filled up the bowl and offered it to Ukyou.  
  
"Ya hungry?" He looked up in surprise and then reluctantly took the bowl. I poured myself one and ate in silence for several minutes.  
  
Night was creeping upon us now. The sun had almost completley set. The amber fire that streaked the horizon was starting to fade and give way to nights dark embrace (that sounds cool eh?). The only sound in the clearing was the cawing of a nightbird and the sound of me chugging down my noodles, getting them all over myself in the process. I was never that big on table manners.  
  
"Why are you being so nice to me?" Ukyou asked, breaking the almost liquid silence. The question caught me off guard. I wasn't really sure. I finished eating and set my bowl down.  
  
"I don't know. Got nothing against you personally. I understand you wanting to beat Genma and Ranma into a bloody pulp."  
  
"Uh huh." He didn't look very convinced.  
  
"I wanted to warn you. You've gotta good claim for revenge. But I'm going to be the one to punish Ranma and that bastard Genma and no one on heaven or earth is going to stop me. You can have them after I'm done. . . if there's anything left that is."  
  
"You just expect me to step aside quietly?"   
  
He glared at me in a way the skinny guy must have thought was really intimidating and then sat his bowl down, and stood up.  
  
"Thank you for the food Ryouga. But I'm going to be the one to punish them and you're not going to stop me. You don't know what it's like . . . to be the one left behind." He picked up his belongings and left. His bowl of ramen was untouched.  
  
"Yeah." I gazed at the burning embers of the fire. "What would I know about that . . .  
----  
  
Contact Info:  
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com  



	2. Part 2

Disclaimer: Down own Ranma. etc  
  
Contact Info:  
  
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com  
  
---  
The One Left Behind  
Part Two  
---   
  
Why does he have to walk so damn fast? It's hard enough keeping him in my line of site. That string I had attached to his arm when I had handed him the ramen worked pretty well. Good thing the ball of string was so long. Now I'll be able to follow him!  
  
I just wish he'd just stop walking so damn fast!  
  
The branch I'm standing on creaked from the pressure so I quickly hopped onto a new one. Jumping from tree to tree was an interesting way to get around. I kinda feel like a ninja. I hope I don't trip and break my neck.  
  
Ukyou stopped for a moment and peered over his shoulder. I froze and held my breath. Oh man... does he see me?   
  
He looked around for several minutes, each passing second the burning in my lungs increased. When I felt I couldn't take it anymore, he turned around and continued walking.  
  
Damn, I must be too close. I let go of more slack from the string and held back a bit. It wouldn't do for him to spot me now. All those hours of following him would be for nothing.  
  
I hopped a few more meters, landing on a particular creaky branch. I ripped off one of my bandannas, threw it outward, and caught a branch from a nearby adjoining tree that was just out off reach. I swung over just as the branch gave away and flew harmlessly down to the mossy ground. That was a close one. I thought I was in trou--  
  
The slack on the string caught up with me and jerked me off the branch to land in a particularly nasty spiky bush. A resounding thud could be heard from the other end of the string as my momentum caught up with Ukyou.  
  
This was not good.  
  
"Damn twigs." Ukyou groaned and stood up.  
  
I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing. I might never make it to Nerima on my own. Following Ukyou was the best bet I had to getting there before I turn old and gray. I've got to stay as still as a mouse . . . or a tree. I think those stay still a lot.  
  
"Why is this string attached to my arm?" Leaves and twigs cracked under his feet as he approached. Closer . . . and closer . . .he was almost right next to me now . . .closer . .and closer . . . Hey what's tugging on my arm?  
  
I was yanked out of the bushes violently. After landing face first in the mud I got beaten in the head with a spatula for good measure.  
  
"Ow your pretty strong for such a girly man," I blurted out in a concussion induced haze. The guy looked angry for a moment, then calm, and then angry again like he couldn't decide whether to take it as a compliment or an insult.  
  
"What were you doing?" He held his spatula in his hands menacingly.  
  
"Following you." I sat up. Little thorns stuck in my cloths and bare arms. I started to pull them off as Ukyou continued.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"So you would lead me to Nerima."  
  
"Nerima? Is that where Ranma is?"   
  
I stopped pulling out thorns and looked up in shock.  
  
"I was following you all this time and you didn't know?!"  
  
He snickered and strapped his spatula back onto his back.  
  
"Serves you right." Ukyou spun on his heel, turned around and started to walk away. I stood up from the ground.  
  
"Hey, wait up!" I ran up to him, matching pace with his stride.  
  
"Ewww! Stop following me you smell like fish." He made a point to step clear of me.  
  
"Damn it! It's not like it's my fault or anything! That fish stand came out of nowhere!" I paused for a moment as something occurred to me. "How sanitary was it to keep fish out in the open like that anyway?"   
  
Ukyou blinked. "I dunno it's one of those open air markets and--hey don't change the subject! You are _Not_ coming with me!"  
  
"Come on, you owe me!"  
  
"How long am I going to owe you?"  
  
"How much is your life worth to you?"   
  
He glared at me for a moment and then his shoulders slumped, defeated. Yes! Got him. This is great leverage against him. I have to remember to use it.  
  
"Just stay out of my way. And whenever we find Saotome all bets are off."   
  
Fine by me. I was going to do that anyway.  
  
"It's a deal." I held my hand out and Ukyou shook it.  
  
"Ow!" Ukyou pulled his hand back and winced.  
  
"Err, sorry don't know my own strength . . . heh heh."  
  
---  
  
Well, after that Ukyou and I became buddies . . . well not really I didn't like him very much. He was way too sensitive about that sister of his that threw her life away when she was five. Five! You can't make life decisions when you're five. It takes years of letting contempt and hatred pile up before you can make a stupid decision like that.  
  
Ok so I didn't hate the guy. He was just really annoying sometimes. He was ALWAYS talking about his sister. They must have been really close. I guess if I had a sister that had been treated like that by Ranma I'd feel the same way. Then again, Ranma was my brother and my mission in life is to ruin his happiness so . . . Damn. I just confused myself again.  
  
Anyways, several days passed by rather quickly. Maybe it was because I had someone to talk to. It was nice to have someone to talk to about how much I hate Ranma. I never mentioned exactly why I hated Ranma and he didn't push the subject. I'm glad he didn't. I don't know what I would have said. I'm ashamed really . . . to have the same blood running through my veins.  
  
On the fourth day after our meeting, Ukyou and I finally came out of the forest we had been traveling in. It might have taken us so long because of the map I drew . . . but I warned Ukyou. It wasn't my fault. I TOLD him the map probably wasn't very good, but did he listen? Nooo...   
  
The clearing we stepped onto was bright and sunny like one of those nice days that you see on tourist postcards. A large mountain resort lay in front of us, filled with restaurants, golf courses, a hotel, and . . . wonderful wonderful bathhouses. When was the last time I had a bath anyways?  
  
I brushed a stray hair out of my eyes and grinned. "Heh. The oasis in the desert. I'm going straight to the bathhouse. I gotta little extra money on me, maybe I can get something to eat too. You coming?"  
  
Ukyou back's stiffened and his eyes widened fractionally. "Uh, no that's ok. Go on without me. I don't need a bath." He laughed nervously.  
  
"Yes you do." I wrinkled my nose and looked at him through the corner of my eye. "You stink."   
"You jerk!"  
  
"Well you DO." We both did. We had been wandering in the wilderness for a week.   
  
"Whatever. I'm hungry. I'll go after I get something to eat." He shifted his pack and walked off toward the restaurant. Apparently, the fish I had cooked hadn't been good enough for him. Man, was he prissy. I'm not even sure they'd serve him before he got a bath.  
  
I shrugged and walked off in the other direction. His funeral. If he was going to act weird, that was his problem. Maybe something was wrong with him? Hm. . . maybe he wasn't what he seemed! Like . . . he was an escaped criminal! Yeah! He had assinated a goverment official and Ranma and Genma saw him, and now he's hunting them down to kill them! And he probabley smuggled diamonds! . . . Nah, that would make Ranma and Genma the good guys.   
  
. . . Or what if he was all Hannibal Lector and he roamed those woods looking for naive banndaned wanderers to eat! But after he found out I was too tough, he's decided to move on to more weak victims!  
  
I'm not sure why I did what I did next. I probably watched too many movies. They've rotted my brain. I caught up with Ukyou, keeping him in my line of sight. I kept to the bushes and shadows a dozen or so feet behind him. I followed him for a few minutes until he walked into a restaurant. The two double doors he had disappeared behind swung a couple times after his departure.  
  
What had I been thinking? I let myself get carried away again. Come on. Cannibal? Diamond smuggler? Assasian? Jeez. I almost stood up again when Ukyou walked back out of the restaurant.  
  
And TOWARD the bathhouses. . . the girls side of the bathhouses.  
  
WHAT THE HELL?!  
  
That . . . that . . . PERVERT! He was sneaking into the girls' side! WHO THE HELL DOES HE THINK HE IS?! He... was going to go eat those girls! It would be a massacre! I have to stop him!  
  
I watched his form discreetly disappear into the girls' side of the springs with my mouth gaping open. I have to follow him. Not because _I_ was a pervert or anything but I had to do something! If I didn't help the girls in there, I'd fall into a endless pit of despair and be tortured with excruciating pain for all time. At least, that's what mom always told me.  
  
I snuck up behind him and hid in a locker.  
  
Wait . . . what the?! He's undressing?! He really is a pervert! Wait . . . a pervert who's really a girl? Ukyou's a girl?! I've been traveling with a girl all this time?! I've...no...I'm getting in fights with a girl! I was . . .   
  
And then my mind finally caught on to a very important fact. I was looking at a NAKED girl.  
  
And so I did the only thing I could do--  
  
I passed out.  
  
---  
  
I woke groggily later covered in my own blood. Now I REALLY needed a bath. At least it's a situation I was used to. Sighing, I went to open the locker door . . . and stopped at the sound of girls' voices.  
  
"He really said that? Men can be such pigs."  
  
"Yeah I was totally shocked."  
  
Peering through the crack in the locker I could see a large group of women gathered in the changing room. I tried to focus on their faces. Luckily, they all were mostly covered. Good thing they have towels. Err . . . or maybe that's a bad thing . . . NO! Good thing. Definitely good thing.  
  
"Hey are you coming?"  
  
"Yeah I just have to get something from my locker."  
  
AHHHHHHHH! SHIT! I grabbed the locked door at the last second and held it in place.  
  
"Argh! It's stuck! Hey can you help me with this?"  
  
The biggest manliest woman I have ever seen stepped into view. She had to be seven feet tall and packed with muscles. The lady could probably crunch steel bars with her teeth. I did NOT want to see what she was going to do to me.  
  
I had to do . . . something! Thinking quickly I grabbed the girls' things and put them on. The door swung open just as I had finished applying the lipstick. Yes, I know it was fast, but damn it you can do some pretty impressive things in a crisis. I fell to the ground in a heap.  
  
All of the girls gasped and looked at me in shock. The girl who's locker I had been hiding in walked up and glared at me. "What are you doing wearing my cloths?"   
  
I looked around desperately trying to figure out something to say. I blinked and tried a last desperate measure.  
  
I started to cry.  
  
"Oh I was so scared!" I said in a high pitched voice. "These bad men like uh came and uh attacked me and stuff! They took my cloths and I uh hid in a locker! Yeah, I barely got away. I'm so sorry I didn't have anything else to wear!" Fake tears streamed down my face.  
  
I'm going straight to hell I just know it. I could practically feel the evil pits of death opening up to me. After all, unmanliness was even worse than being mean to a girl. I might as well throw myself off a bridge and get it over with. Wait, forgot about the revenge thing. So... grab Genma and Ranma then throw ALL of us off a bridge. Yeah, that would work.  
  
"You poor girl!" The girl that accused me walked up and put a hand around my shoulder. They're...buying it! Yes! Ha ha! No hell for me today! I can go to hell tomorrow!  
  
. . . Wait, that's not right.  
  
"Those horrible men!" Another girl with curly hair sniffled. "They could still be out there!"  
  
I'm home free! All I have to do is slip out! Ok . . .  
  
"What's going on?" An all too familiar brunette with long chocolate colored hair poked her head into the room. Her eyes widened in surprise at seeing me, and then turned into a fanged-boy-melting glare. Aw man, it didn't matter if I got out of here or not, either way she was going to kill me. But . . . hey! She was cross-dressing too!  
  
"Some men attacked this poor girl and shoved her into a locker!" A girl with pigtails told Ukyou.   
Ukyou raised an eyebrow and smiled like the cat that just ate the canary and really didn't give a damn who knew she ate the bird. "Oh, is that so? What's your name?"  
  
"N-name? It's uh . . . it's uh . . ."  
  
"You have one don't you?" That grin became more evil.  
  
"It's Ryoukodukikin!"  
  
The room blinked collectively.  
  
"Ryoukodu...what?"  
  
Damn it brain! At least come up with something REASONABLY believable!  
  
"You must be a foreigner!" The girl with curly hair giggled. "That's such a silly name!"  
  
I rubbed my neck nervously. Must get out of here...must...there has to be a way! The girls started bombarding me with questions . . . stuff about my homeland . . . Huh? I'm not from Lithuania!...where is that anyways? Err nevermind. Gotta find an excuse... gotta...  
  
"Excuse me?" Ukyou grabbed my hand. "I think this poor girl has been through enough." The girls all nodded in agreement. Yes, that was such a perfect idea. Let the crazy girl drag me off into the dark of night where she can murder me without any witnesses. Yes, that was such a great idea.   
  
Ukyou dragged me out of the bathhouse and stopped behind the building facing the woods. She finally let go of my arm and glared at me with the fanged-boy-melting glare again.  
  
"What the hell were you doing?!" She was yelling at my quietly. How impressive of her. "You pervert!"  
  
Hey! He--er she couldn't talk to me like that! "What are you talking about OTHER pervert!"  
  
"What so perverted about a girl in a girl's bath?" She smirked. "Never would have pegged you for a crossdresser."  
  
"It was a last desperate measure! It's not like I did it voluntarily or ALL THE TIME."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"How long before you were going to tell me and stop pretending you were a guy?"  
  
"I never said I was a guy did I?"  
  
Eh . . . well um . . .erm . . .  
  
"No but you implied it. A lot. Come on! You ACT like a guy!"  
  
Eh? What? Is she sniffling? . . . aww stupid Ryouga! Look what you did now! Oh no . . . she's started to cry! Whatta I do?!  
  
"It's not my fault!" She brushed away a few tears angrily. "Him and that bastard father of his ruined me for marriage!" Ruined? Eh...how did they do that? She still looks cute to me...  
  
"They stole my families yatai!" Yep that sounded like him. "I couldn't take the insults from all the other girls! Everyday! I couldn't take it!" Yep, girls are evil. "And . . . they left me behind!"  
  
Yep. She's justified.  
  
"So, I decided to give up my womanhood, live, and train as a man so I could one day defeat him and regain my honor! I trained against the raging sea--" How do you do that with a spatula? "--and finally left my family in search of revenge!"  
  
"That's a waste."  
  
"W-what?"  
  
Ahhhh! I talked before thinking again!  
  
"I uh just mean that . . . it's a real waste and you shouldn't have listened to what some silly girls said. What do they know? They were like, five. And uh...you were only five and a pretty girl like you shouldn't just throw your life away because of some jerk named Ranma . . . Not that you didn't make a good guy! Cause you did! You were good at it, but you probably would be a better girl and uh . . . um . . . We Um . . . BETTER LEAVE! So um . . . eh heh heh heh it's late so yeah . . . time to leave!" I started off toward the forest.  
  
"You think I'm pretty?"  
  
Oh no. Great job big mouth. At least, she doesn't have a giant pig. Next time I see one of those things, I'm just gonna let it eat me. Things woulda been easier.  
  
"Um . . .s-sure." Was it getting hotter in here? Erm . . . Ukyou walked over to me and...smiled. Smiled? I thought she was mad? Did I say something right for once?  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Oh my god I did! Ha! Staved the reaper off for another week! Go me.  
  
I smiled back.  
  
"Well I guess we better be leaving."  
  
"Your still in a dress."  
  
"Whoops."  
  
"Didn't you notice? Getting a little too comfortable aren't ya?"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
---  
  
Contact Info:  
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com  



	3. Part 3

Disclaimer: Don't own Ranma 1/2. If I did, I'd make a Ryouga series. To hell with Ranma.  
  
Ranma: Hey!   
Ashes: Sorry man couldn't help it.  
Ranma: Didn't this story die? *hopeful look*  
Ashes: Guess not.  
Ranma: Damn.  
  
C&C makes me happy. I can take constructive criticism.  
  
Contact Info:  
Ashez2ashes@yahoo.com  
  
Previous chapters at:  
  
---  
The One Left Behind   
Part Three  
---  
  
"What is wrong with you?!"  
  
"It's not my fault! I TOLD you not to follow me!"  
  
She thought I was lying to her. As if I'd leave her somewhere! I don't take after that side of the family! Damn it! Now we're stuck here...wherever here is. Well, let's see. When you're lost you're supposed to check the local surroundings for landmarks, right?  
  
Hmm...tree...tumbleweed...cow...diner...small rice farm...large spatula aimed at my face...very angry cross-dressing girl...I've got it!  
  
I'm in hell.  
  
"You Jackass! How could you get us this lost?! Is there something wrong with your brain? Did your father drop you on your head as a baby?!"  
  
WHOA! SO THAT'S WHERE THAT SCAR CAME FROM!  
  
"I told you not to follow me. I don't know what's wrong with me ok? Ever since I was little I haven't been able to get where I've been going...I don't know why..." Um...maybe he DID drop me on my head! Damn him!  
  
Ukyou sighed and hung her head. "Okay, okay, stop before you start crying again." She grabbed my map away from me and sat down in the dirt. I sat down next to her and looked at the map over her shoulder. 'Cause what else am I going to do? Cry?  
  
"I do not--"  
  
"Yes you do. You cry all the time". She paused and grinned savagely. "Ryoukodukikin."  
  
"Am I ever going to hear the end of that?"  
  
"Eh...maybe if you die."  
  
"Suicide. Always a good option."  
  
I started punching little holes into the ground, waiting for Miss Psycho Chef to figure out the map. It's a nervous habit. It always used to make my mom sooo mad. Huh...shut up brain I don't want to think about her right now. It might make my eyes uh...water or something.   
  
Hmm...Damn you Ranma...Ranma go to hell ... Genma's a fat bastard...yeah that looks nice. It'd be cool if they walked by it once. Stupid Ranma would turn to the bastard and be like 'Gee golly dad! It looks like someone wrote some bad things about us! I'm so unmanly I'm gonna cry! Wait, I can't read. I'm stupid!'. Then Genma would scratch his baldhead and go 'I don't know how to read it either son! Because I'm only a stupid fat bastard'. Heh heh heh...  
  
...Wait, that defeats the whole purpose of writing it in the dirt.  
  
Awwwww.  
  
Ukyou looked up from her map. "Are you talking to yourself again?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Ok then." She flipped her ponytail back behind her shoulder and stood up. I stood up too, smacking some of the dirt off my black pants. Black attracts too much dirt, so does yellow. Why do I have a yellow and black outfit then?  
  
Ukyou turned to me and smiled. She should really do that more often.  
  
"I think I know where we are!" She waved the map in the air in kind of a mocking way. She's probably mocking me. Eh, no. She's helping me. I guess I'm so hungry I'm getting grouchy...err more so than usual.  
  
"Ukyou, are you hungry?"  
  
"A bit. I can fire up the grill and--"  
  
Oh gods. She was going to make me eat okinomiyaki again.  
  
"Um no! I don't want you to go to the trouble! Let's go to that diner ok?" I pointed to the food-like establishment off into the distance. "We could eat, get some directions, or hitch a ride if we're lucky. Please?"  
  
Rule Number 1: Always be polite to girls. They will hit you less.  
  
"All right, Ryoukodukikin."  
  
But they still will mock you.  
  
---  
  
This diner is a weird place. At first, I thought it was one of those roadside joints, but...the place claims to be a tea shop. Maybe it was a tea shop at one point in time, but it sure isn't now. It's more like an American diner with Japanese things strewn about. The Lady at the cash register is REALLY REALLY ugly. I know it's rude to think that but...boy is she ugly. Not only that, she was mean. Even Ukyou noticed she was ugly and she's a girl. Girls aren't supposed to notice those sorts of things...  
  
Eh, maybe they do notice those sorta things. Except, instead of thinking, 'She's ugly' they think, 'HA HA HA! I'M PRETTIER THAN YOU!'.  
  
Anyways, this diner had really ugly ladies in it, with the only exception being the lady that waited on us. She was kinda pretty. I think her name was Konatsu. Her ugly sisters (I think they're her sisters) were really mean to her. I saw them yelling and stuff.  
  
The tea is nice here. We ordered some other food, too. They don't just serve tea here, which makes it soooo not a tea shop. I think the diner is in denial.  
  
I swirled the tea in my half empty cup idly. I hate waiting.  
  
Ukyou droned on for a little bit. I wasn't paying attention. Girls sure talk a lot. Besides, the guys behind me were more interesting. I think they're mobsters. One only looks half Japanese. I bet they're drug smugglers...or asassins! They could be waiting for their boss to make a call about their next hit, hoping that they can finish their hot fudge sundaes in time...  
  
"So, what's your last name Ryouga? Just in case I have to make out your tombstone, sugar."  
  
What? Last name? Uh...  
  
The half Japanese guy leaned over his seat. "Listen, we have to find this guy. He be key to our operations."  
  
"He be key?" Talk about weird japanese. The guy had to be a foreigner.  
  
"Hibiki, eh? Pretty average name."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I said, Hibiki is a pretty average name."  
  
"Yeah it's average." What IS she talking about?   
  
Aww, the mobster guys are getting up. Lucky guys, and they look soooo cool too. I wish I had a leather jacket. There they go, off to assassinate someone. That's so neat.  
  
"Ryouga...you're not paying attention to me again."  
  
I probably couldn't have a leather jacket though, I'd just get it muddy.  
  
"Jackass..."  
  
They cost a lot too. I think Ukyou's saying something, oh well. When's the food gonna get here?  
  
"Some guys a little while ago asked if we were gay lovers. I told them no, but you were interested."  
  
"That's nice." Do gay guys wear leather?.....WHAT THE HELL?!   
  
I started joking on my tea. "WHAT?!"  
  
Ukyou smiled brightly. "Finally, you're paying attention to me."  
  
"Y-you you t-told th-them w-what?"  
  
Ukyou patted me on the head like the brain-dead family dog. "I was lying, dear."  
  
I grimaced. "Don't call me dear. It looks weird."  
  
Ukyou stuck her tongue out at me. "Don't worry about it Ryouga deeeeear." She pinched me on the cheek. I really wish she wouldn't do that while she was dressed as a guy. "No one's gonna say anything about your alternative life style." She giggled all crazily. What was in her tea?  
  
I glared at her in the most 'angry manly guy' glare I could muster.  
  
...which made her giggle even more.  
  
"Relax. Life is going good. We're not that far away from Nerima. And then I can get my revenge and regain my honor. Etc etc, everything will be okinomiyaki and cherry blossoms. Ok Mr. Pessimist?"  
  
"Ok, Miss Optimist."   
  
"Excuse Me? Here is your order."   
  
That pretty waitress lady had come back. She sat down our food trays and smiled at us, one of those real smiles, not the fake ones people wear all the time. Hey uh...she's kinda...staring at Ukyou.  
  
"Is there anything else you might need?" the lady asked in a very formal tone. Very nice and polite girl...  
  
"Nah, we're good, sugar! Thanks."   
  
The waitress blushed again and walked away flustered. Ukyou immediately turned to her food and started to separate our orders, completely oblivious. I, being totally not used to knowing what's going on, decided to keep quiet.  
  
Rule Number 2: When in doubt, shut up.  
  
We ate our food fairly quickly....eh, ok I inhaled mine. My mother would be ashamed. Proper people don't inhale their food. OOOooooh well. Mom isn't here now is she?  
  
...ack! I didn't mean it!  
  
I looked around, expecting to get sucked into hell at any moment. Ukyou must have noticed my freaking out, because she picked up the menu and hit me in the head with it. Or she didn't notice and just felt like hitting me in the head.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
I took a deep breath and relaxed a bit. "I thought something disrespectful, was expecting to get sucked into hell."  
  
Ukyou blinked. "Huh?"  
  
"You know, the void that takes people into hell that are disrespectful to women." Everyone knew about the void. What had her parents been teaching her? I guess she didn't get very much education.  
  
Ukyou looked at me like I had just said, 'Come on. Let's forgive Ranma'. "Not that I wouldn't like something like this, but who told you that?"  
  
"Huh? My mom. Everyone knows about the void to hell." Where has she been?  
  
"Uh huh. I think your parents were actually worse than mine."  
  
"Hey! Don't say anything about my mom!" Only one of my parents were bad!  
  
Ukyou sipped her tea. "There is no such thing as a void that sucks disrespectful men into hell, unfortunately. How could Ranma and Genma still be around?"  
  
She's using her intellect against me! No fair!  
  
"I...I dunno. Maybe mom could be wrong." She liked Ranma and Genma. That's pretty damn wrong...she was so blind concerning them. She said she wanted them to go off on a training trip. Yeah right, he abandoned her. Then all my life I have to hear, I bet Ranma's so strong now, this' and 'Genma's probably made him into the best martial artist in the world now' that. You could never be as good martial artist as he is, honey. My poor little boy...Bah! What? Like she didn't make ME train every freakin day too?  
  
Go carry that boulder up that hill a few dozen times, honey. Go off with your uncle and train blinded folded on top of a roasting fire on a pole, honey. Wasn't it nice of that neighbor man to take you to the jungle, honey? HERE'S A POCKET KNIFE, I'LL SEE YOU IN A MONTH HONEY!!!  
  
...um, I must have had too much tea or something.  
  
"Maybe? You are soooo a momma's boy." Ukyou smirked. I wish she wouldn't smirk. Thank the Gods she doesn't know who I am. I'd go insane married to her. I'd have to see her SMIRKING at me all the time. And all our children would smirk all the time and be way too damn happy than any child of mine would have a right to be.  
  
"Shut up about my mom."  
  
Ukyou raised an eyebrow. "I've found a sensitive spot. Eh?"  
  
"She's dead ok?"  
  
Ukyou stopped with her tea cup halfway to her lips.  
  
". . .sorry." She looked genuinely embarrassed. "I didn't know, sugar. I shouldn't have said...whoa!"  
  
"Whoa?" You don't use "whoa" when you're apologizing to someone. Unless that someone is a horse...  
  
"Look!"  
  
"You're not going to finish apologizing to me?" Awww...  
  
"Look stupid!" She grabbed my chin and forcibly pointed my face toward the restaurant counter. What am I supposed to be looking at?...There's just some red-haired girl standing next to a panda. Wait!  
  
Next to that panda is Ryu!  
  
I turned toward Ukyou and whispered in her ear. Gotta keep a low profile and all.   
  
"It's Ryu! . . . our OTHER enemy!" He's come back to finish us off! Uh, I mean . . . time to get revenge!  
  
"What do we do?" Ukyou tried to lean down in her seat so she wouldn't be seen.  
  
I clenched my fist. "Something vengeful..."  
  
"What a well thought out plan! Such intricate thought processes involved! I'm glad I'm with you!" Ukyou punched me on the arm...and winced in pain.  
  
"Do YOU have a plan?"  
  
"..............no." She rubbed her sore hand. Serves her right for hitting me! Not that I care or anything. If you go around hitting strong manly men who are built like tanks, such as myself, you must expect dire consequences.  
  
"I say we just run up and hit him with something heavy." When in doubt, throw a boulder. Worked in second grade, still works now. No one's ever gonna steal Ryouga's pocky ever again, that's for sure.  
  
"How? If we just attack him, he'll hit us with his vacuum cleaner attack again."  
  
"Vacuum cleaner attack?"  
  
"You know what I mean."  
  
We need something to use against him...I glanced out the window. Next to the restaurant was the ugly shop ladies' house. Between the buildings, laundry was laid out to dry on strings strung between two poles. Some of the biggest pairs of underwear I have ever seen fluttered in the breeze like some really ugly flags from a country no one would ever visit....Hey...I've got an idea!  
  
"Ukyou, see the laundry on those poles out there?"  
  
Ukyou glanced, over and her eyes widened. She turned back to me, her eyes gleaming with sparkly red revenge. "That's brilliant, Ryouga. You might have a brain after all..."  
  
"I can sneak up and hit him from behind with one of those poles!"  
  
I had a fleeting image of a spatula coming toward my face before everything went fuzzy...  
  
"Come on Jackass," some large blurry thing told me as I was being dragged away...look at all the pretty colors...  
  
----  
  
"Come on Ryouga, grab one."  
  
"You do it! I don't want to touch them!"  
  
"Go ahead, be a man."  
  
"But...they're so big!"  
  
"Yeah, they are aren't they?"  
  
I looked around at my surroundings. Really ugly old ladies underwear floated in the breeze. The plan was to grab a couple and plant them in Ryu's bag. Easy right? Except we actually have to touch them first...   
  
Ukyou rolled her eyes. "Just put your hand on it and pull."  
  
"You should have to do it too! I don't want to have to do this by myself!"  
  
A lady walked by looking scandalized. What's her problem? We haven't even stole anything yet.  
  
Ukyou stomped her foot impatiently. "Just grab some of the underwear before we get caught!"  
  
The evil okinomiyaki chef had conveniently made this my part of the plan. She had to distract Ryu while I put the underwear in his bag...But it's not fair! NOW I HAVE TO TOUCH THESE GROSS THINGS! Jeez, you could clothe all the orphans in the country with these things. Not that I would wish that on an orphan.  
  
"Fine..." I reached out my hand and pulled a couple from the line, trying to keep them from touching my skin. This is just...so...icky and gross...  
  
"Stop being a wuss, Ryouga."  
  
"But it's gross..."  
  
Ukyou left me and snuck around the building to implement her part of the plan: the distraction. And so I waited a few minutes to give her time to change, and then shuffled off toward the restaurant door. I don't like her part of the plan. I guess it could work but...I sighed and hunched down waiting for her signal. Time went by really slowly, like when you break your leg and have to walk through the desert.  
  
Finally...I heard the signal.  
  
"RANMA HONEY!"  
  
I ducked into the restaurant as Ukyou, dressed in girl's clothes, glomped onto Ryu. Ryu's eyes widened in surprise. I moved to Ryu's bag slowly on my knees, hidden by the side of the countertop. Everyone was staring at the loud scene Ukyou was creating and didn't seem to notice me. I reached his bag and stuffed the underwear in a pocket, making sure that a large section of it was sticking out.  
  
"Ranma where have you been?" Ukyou continued to hug Ryu...  
  
I snuck back to the door.  
  
"I'm not..." Ryu hesitated. What is he doing? I was almost to the door...  
  
I saw Ryu put his arm around Ukyou's shoulders. "It's been horrible being separated from you, dear."  
  
WHAT THE FU--  
  
"Uh, yeah I guess..." Ukyou started to panic slightly. She noticed me still hanging around the threshold, and motioned with her eyes for me to leave. What the hell does that bastard think he's doing?! I'll crush his bones his bones and make bread I'll...Oh Ukyou wants me to leave...That stupid freakin bastard! He'll wish he had never been born.   
  
I looked up. Hey...why is Ukyou flipping me off over Ryu's shoulder? Um...oh! That plan thing!  
  
But I want to hurt him _MYSELF_! Who does he think he is, taking advantage of an innocent young girl...  
  
Ukyou's middle finger waved at me again.  
  
But I really wanted to break his arm!  
  
Ukyou mouthed 'vacuum cleaner attack' over Ryu's shoulder.  
  
Well, fine! See if I worry about her anymore!  
  
I walked through the mangled door frame and outside. I ran my hand alongside the building so I wouldn't get lost. Eventually, I ended up at the back...and waited...  
  
"HOLD ON A SECOND! YOU'RE NOT RANMA!"   
  
Smack!  
  
Wow...I heard that from all the way over here. I suppose that was one way to diffuse the situation...  
  
"Excuse me?"   
  
I looked up and saw that pretty waitress girl...Konatsu was her name I think...walking up to me. She had a basket of laundry in her hand. She had dirt smudged on her face and she looked tired. I felt a twinge of guilt and pushed it down. Now was not the time for that conscious thing to come back.   
  
I tried to act like a very non-guilty person.  
  
"Hehehheh um...how's it...uh...how are...what's up?"  
  
Yep. I was smooth.  
  
"Have you seen a piece of laundry lying around, by any chance? I seem to be one short." She shifted the large basket of laundry to her other hand.  
  
By the Gods... A plan I was involved in is actually working. This is too easy. A crazy girl with a giant pig was going to jump out any moment now. I just know it.  
  
"Actually, I saw this guy in camouflaged pants taking something from that line." I pointed to the now empty clothes line. "I think he's still in the restaurant..." If it wouldn't totally incriminate me, I'd laugh manically right now.  
  
"Oh..." Konatsu bowed. "Thank you for your assistance." She then walked away toward the front of the restaurant where Ryu sat, finishing his soup. The bastard wouldn't know what hit him. Ah, life was so great.  
  
"Ryouga..." Ukyou jogged up meet me. She had changed back into her boy cloths...unfortunately. Um, I mean...not unfortunately...I didn't mean unfortunately...even if she did look really...shut up brain! Lucky Ryu bastard...I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP BRAIN!  
  
Ukyou wiped a line of sweat from her forehead and smiled. "That'll teach him to mess with us, right Ryoukodukikin?"  
  
I smiled back. "Yes it will, psycho chef."  
  
Ukyou glared half heartedly and grabbed my hand. We picked up our packs and made it to a hill we had picked out to watch the action. She let go of my hand as we reached a high spot on the hill. A tree covered us in its shade. No one would be able to see us up here.   
  
I sat down on the grass, followed by Ukyou.  
  
Someone screamed.  
  
"PERVERT! HOW DARE YOU STEAL MY UNMENTIONABLES!"  
  
There was a nice crash from inside the building.  
  
"WHY WOULD I STEAL YOUR UGLY UNDERWEAR YOU INSANE WOMAN?!"  
  
A sound like a giant vacuum cleaner came from the restaurant.  
  
"ATTACKING ME IN MY OWN RESTAURANT! YOU FOUL LITTLE BOY! BERTHA! GET IN HERE!"  
  
Pleasant booming sounds echoed through the small valley.  
  
"THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE OF YOU?!"  
  
There was a pause of silence.  
  
"THERE ARE FOUR OF YOU?!"  
  
I pulled some candy out of my pocket. "Bubblegum Ukyou?"  
  
"Why thank you."  
  
"OW! OW! LET ME GO!"  
  
"WOW BERTHA! I DIDN'T KNOW LEGS COULD BEND THAT WAY!"  
  
Ukyou and I turned toward each other and smiled at the same time. You know...revenge is a lot more fun if you have someone to cackle maniacally with.  
  
----  
  
C&C?   
Contact Info:  
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com  



	4. Part 4

Note: The following is an alternate universe story, so if you try to read this chapter first, you're going to be really confused.  
  
  
Contact Info:  
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com  
http://www.geocities.com/ashez2ashes/  
  
  
  
-----  
  
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2? I don't own that. Who's Ranma?  
Ranma: The person everyone unfairly hates in this fic.  
Ashes: Quiet you.  
  
----  
The one you left behind  
Part Four  
----  
  
I guess I shouldn't complain. It was my idea to begin with. Hitching a ride had looked like a good idea at the time. We can get to Nerima faster and we know we're going the right direction. "Ukyou," I had said. "Let's get a ride! It'll save some time!" But no, fate had to beat on it's whipping boy, Ryouga. I hate fate. If fate was a person, it'd look like Genma.  
  
I've hitched rides before. Most of the people were ok. Some were weird. Others were...disturbing. One guy kept trying to write on me with his "magical calligraphy pen" for helping him carry some crates. But that situation hadn't been that bad. It wasn't as bad as this.  
  
"Stop looking like it's the end of the world, Jackass."   
  
And so me and the crazy chef hitched a ride on a tractor-trailer.  
  
I was a good sport. I could have stayed calm in any other situation other than this one. Any other truck, than this one. Why do these things happen to me? Why couldn't the truck be filled with anything else? Anything! Anything but...but...  
  
"Wow Ryouga, I've never seen this many tampons in one place."  
  
Arrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhh!  
  
"Can you even breathe with that close pin on your nose?"  
  
Grrrrrrrrrr...  
  
"You know." Ukyou grinned evilly and leaned back into the wall of the truck. "If your nose starts to bleed, we have plenty of these to take care of it."  
  
Ahhhhhh!  
  
"Leef meeh ehlone." Stupid evil chef. She thinks she's so cool. Just because I'm uncomfortable around girly hygiene stuff doesn't mean she's gotta rub it in. This is so embarrassing. All these tampons in the room that girls are going to buy...and take home...and...ACK!  
  
"Uh, I think your ears are bleeding."  
  
"Dey err nahot." I felt my ears...they were wet. Aw man! My ears ARE bleeding! Ugh, the driver needs to learn how to drive. The truck's all spinny.  
  
"I don't think you're going to survive the trip at this rate. You should probably get out while there's still time." She yawned. "I don't want you to hurt yourself." She looked concerned for me. Uh huh. I'm not falling for that one again! She had been trying that all week. Feh, concern. Yeah, I'll get out of the truck. When they drag my dead and lifeless body away!  
  
I pulled the clothespin off my nose and focused to get my emotions in check.  
  
"No, I'm not going to leave so you can go into Nerima by yourself. I think I'll just sit here and bleed to death."  
  
I put the clothes pin back on my nose.  
  
Ukyou sighed. "Why are you even here? I have a perfectly good reason for revenge. My reasons make sense. Yours on the other hand...I think you should just step aside and let me have him. My reasons are better than yours."  
  
"Errrr nnnahot! Genmuh and Ranmuh--" I shut my mouth.  
  
"What? Ranma did what?"  
  
I stared silently.  
  
"Hmmph! Be that way! I won't ever ask you again!"  
  
That's what she said yesterday...and the day before that...I'd rather die than tell her the truth. How would she look at me then? What would she do if she knew I was the twin brother of...HIM. She'd hate me. She'd think I was like him. She'd think I was some kind of low-life who abandons their wife...She told me it was partly her idea...ha! Yeah right. That bastard convinced her to do it. I just know it.   
  
I don't want Ukyou to think of me like that...She already thinks I'm a stupid guy, but at least I'm a stupid guy with honor.  
  
Not mention the whole engagement thing...I wouldn't want anyone to be engaged to someone like me. That bastard knew what he was doing! He KNEW if she still wanted to pursue the engagment I'd be waiting in the wings. I hate this! It's so unfair! Besides, she'd just end up murdering me. I'm not too keen on being stabbed to death with a sharpened okinomiyaki.  
  
I think I'm gonna be sick. Why won't the truck stop spinning? I wish this damn thing would stop already!  
  
The truck slammed on its brakes abruptly, throwing me and Ukyou against the back door painfully.  
  
"Ow..."  
  
"Sorry kids!" The driver muttered a few curse words from the front. "There's a giant pig in the middle of the road. Freaky, we must be getting near that one forest."  
  
Boom! Boom! Boom!  
  
Pig?! G-Giant Pig?! NOOOOO! OHMYGODSHE'SFOUNDMEAGAINI'LLNEVERBEFREE! NOOOO!  
  
I jumped to my feet. "Erurry! Ren eeet ohverr!"  
  
Ukyou's eyebrow twitched. "Do you REALLY need that close pin on all the time?"  
  
Fine!  
  
I took the clothespin off.  
  
"Uh..." The driver snorted. "It's a little too big to run over..."  
  
Boom!  
  
It's coming! I'm an easy target here..Igottagetawaygottagetaway...  
  
Boom! Boom!  
  
"What's wrong Kastunishiki? Do you smell something?" Her voice was close...She must be walking around the truck. And I'm stuck here! Gotta stop breathing...She and the demon might hear me breathing! What if the monster pig demon hears my heart beating?! I can't stop my heart from beating!   
  
Well I could, but I don't want to get away that badly...yet.  
  
"Don't bother that! It's rude to sniff other people's trucks."  
  
And it's rude to try to eat five-year old little boys, but that never stopped it before.  
  
"Hello girly!" The truck driver was talking to ...HER. The monster's grunts could be easily heard through the truck...the damn thing's probably gonna try to eat the truck.  
  
"I'm so sorry! He gets a little excited sometimes! Please, forgive me for getting in your way."  
  
"That's all right. There should be more polite young people like you in the world." The traitor...I mean truck driver, laughed.   
  
"Stop sniffing. He wouldn't be in something like that." There was a pause. "Uh, please forgive my brashness for asking, but what do you have in your truck?"  
  
Life flashing before eyes...Ack! There she is again! Stop flashing life!  
  
"Um...a load of toiletries for a grocery store. But eh...could you get a move on? I got a delivery to make to Nerima by five."  
  
"Oh. Sorry again! Come on Kastunishiki!"  
  
Boom! Boom! BoomBoomBoomboomboom!  
  
The truck shook as Godzilla--I mean that damn pig ran around the truck and then wonderfully went off into the distance to leave me alone and that's so great and LIFE IS WONDFERFUL!  
  
Now to settle back in a nice ride with a truck load of tamp--  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! GROSS RYOUGA!"  
  
I shouldn't have taken the clothespin out.  
  
----  
  
Things went pretty well after I cleaned up all the blood. Oh, and after Ukyou stopped hitting me for it. Yeah, after that it was smooth--Oh and after I regained consciousness from Ukyou hitting me.  
  
We shouldn't be that far away from Nerima now. Japan isn't that big. At least, that's what my geography teacher always told me. He may have been lying. He always seemed slightly insane to me; always muttering about 'you cannot cross water without knowing it this' and 'it's impossible to travel that amount of distance on foot in two days that'. Feh, that stupid old man.  
  
"Icky blood all over my shoes, stupid idiot boy..." Ukyou mumbled to herself as she tried to get a blood spot off of her shoe. Sometimes she'd look up and glare at me, but most of the time she'd mumble to herself in a crazy chef sorta way. As if I could help it!  
  
Finally, after about ten minutes of mumbling and grumbling, she looked up.  
  
"What is your problem anyway?"  
  
"Problem?" I don't have a problem! Well...it's not a problem. I don't think it's a problem...Well...maybe a little problem...  
  
Hold up.  
  
"Which problem?"  
  
"You know, your thing with girls. I've never seen a guy as shy as you."  
  
Ohhhhh. _THAT_ problem.  
  
"Shy? I'm-I'm not shy."  
  
"Yeah right! Come on, you can tell me! Were you raised by wolves in the wilderness? Freakish lab experiment gone awry?"  
  
Wolves? Um...She's got an imagination like mine.  
  
"No...I just wasn't around girls much growing up. I spent most of my time training, or being lost. Oh yeah...and occasionally I went to school. It was an all boys school though... But no lab experiments."  
  
Ukyou looked slightly disappointed. "Oh come on." She slyly scooted over to me and nudged me in the side with her elbow. "You can tell your bestest buddy Ukyou your deep, darkest secrets!"  
  
"So you can blackmail me with them and get to Ranma first?"  
  
Ukyou blinked. "Wow, it's like a steel trap eh?" She punched me in the head. "My okinomiyaki must have grown some brain cells."  
  
I scooted away. She was too...close to me! Waaaay too close.  
  
Um...wait. I'm supposed to be offended. "Whatta ya mean, GROWN brain cells?"  
  
SCREECH!  
  
Ukyou and I were flung to the back of the truck again.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAaah! Damn it! Not again!"  
  
"Hiya! Truck get out of Shampoo's way!" Something said from outside the truck. The...talking shampoo bottle? Made some other crashes before the sound disappeared.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" I stood up slowly. My head was quickly clearing. Beside me, Ukyou was recovering by cussing a lot. The truck sat slightly lopsided...  
  
"Neat! Was that a purple grisly bear? Wow...uh anyways, I'm sorry kids but I'm stuck. Ya gonna have to get another ride..."  
  
Oh well, wandering around in the wilderness is better than getting your head slammed against the side of a truck over and over.   
  
"Oh, and can you call me a tow? My radio isn't workin."  
  
I stood up. "Why?"  
  
The truck driver muttered something that sounded like, 'spilled soft drink and sat on the cell', and walked out of the truck to investigate the damage done by the...purple grisly bear?  
  
Makes more sense than a talking shampoo bottle...  
  
Ukyou agreed to leave too, so we gathered up our stuff and got out of the truck. I stayed close to the evil chef, just in case she tried to ditch me. I'm sure she's thinking about it. Then some other stuff happened, and then we eventually came to a rundown house...almost a shack really...  
  
Ukyou knocked on the door. "Excuse me, can we use your phone?"  
  
These people probably don't have a phone...but what the hell.   
  
Seconds later a dark haired guy walked out of the shack. His clothes were blue and he was carrying a broom...you know, the kind that you scrub floors with. Or is that a mob? Can mops scrub? Err...never mind. What's he doing with a broom? Sweeping is a women's job. Unless the woman tells you to do it, then it's your job.  
  
"What was that, Miss? Sorry, I was out back."  
  
"I just wanted to know if we could use your phone." Ukyou pointed back to the way we came. "A truck got stuck in the mud back by the road and we the driver we'd call a tow." Ukyou smiled sheepishly. "If you have a phone..."  
  
"Oh, ya we got one." That broom carrying bastard...I mean guy, smiled back. "Just let me go get it. I'll be right back."  
  
The broom guy walked back into the house.  
  
Two minutes later...   
  
"What are you doing here stranger?" The broom guy looked at us like we had never been here. He must have forgotten. I guess, I've done that before...Maybe he has a lot on his mind...  
  
"Remember?" I raised an eyebrow. "You said we could use your phone?"  
  
"Oh, ok. Let me go get it."  
  
He disappeared.  
  
Two minutes later...  
  
"What are you doing here stranger?"  
  
......REALLY FORGETFUL.  
  
Ukyou's eyebrow twitched. "Hello? Your phone? You said you were going to go get it?"  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry. One minute."  
  
Two minutes later...  
  
"What's your business here?"  
  
"WE WANNA BORROW YOUR PHONE!" Busy my ass! HE HAS NOTHING GOING ON IN HIS MIND!  
  
"Okay! There's no reason to shout!" The broom guy glared at me, as if _I_ was the stupid one, and walked back into his house--  
  
and came back two minutes later.  
  
"Hello, how may I help--"  
  
Ukyou screamed. "Is this some kind of joke?!" She unsheathed her spatula like she was going to beat him to death with it. Which I'm all for. Ukyou can be cool sometimes. "If you won't let us use your phone just say so!"  
  
"There's no reason to be rude!" The brain dead broom guy glared. "Hold on just a minute and I will retrieve it."  
  
And then he left...again...I think I'm gonna murder him.  
  
Two minutes later...  
  
"Excuse me, why are you on my property?"  
  
Yes, I think I will kill him.  
  
"You...were....going...to get...phone..." Must resist urge to kill...  
  
"Um...yeah." The broom guy glanced at me nervously and turned toward Ukyou, as if she was more sane than me. Feh. "What's his problem?"  
  
"He....might...be....angry..."  
  
"Well ok. What did you want?"  
  
Ukyou was glowing. "We...want..."  
  
"--phone....you...give us..."  
  
"...phone. Now."  
  
"Uh...okay.." Broom guy looked back and forth between Ukyou and me. What the hell is wrong with him?!  
  
And...then Broom Boy went bye bye for awhile again...  
  
Two freakin minutes later...  
  
"Hello stranger. How can I help you?"  
  
It was my turn to snap. "DAMN IT! NOT AGAIN! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"  
  
"Excuse me! I've never met you before and you insult me?!"  
  
"YOU JUST TALKED TO US!!!!!!!!!!!"   
  
It's not fair! JUST ONE LITTLE PHONE CALL! Is that so much to ask?! Why doesn't anything ever go right for me?! I'll never get to Nerima! I'll be stuck here forever, in an endless time loop asking for the phone!  
  
IT'S NOT FAIR!  
  
"We just wanna use the phooooooooone." I collapsed on the ground and buried my head in my hands.  
  
"I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" Ukyou got in his face. "I'M GOING IN THERE. I'M GONNA TAKE YOUR PHONE. I'M GONNA USE IT TO MAKE ONE DAMN CALL. AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT! OK?!"  
  
The broom guy looked very scared. "Yes ma'am."  
  
Ukyou stomped in the room, stepping on an old man laying on a futon in the process. Some loud sounds happened, maybe there was lightening too, I dunno. Ukyou IS a girl, but I don't think she can control lightening. Finally, Ukyou stomped back out, grabbed my hand, and jerked me away.  
  
"And stop crying, Ryouga."  
  
"I AM NOT--"  
  
She glared.  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
----  
  
Giant animals ran around us in the forest. BIG animals. As in, fight Godzilla in Tokyo Bay giant animals. This has to be where the pig is from! And here I had thought it was some kind of alien pig or toxic waste mutant.  
  
"Where are we?" Ukyou looked around and ducked as a large bird swooped down low.  
  
"The land that time forgot?"  
  
Ukyou hit me in the head with her spatula. "You got me lost again! How could I let you get me into this?"  
  
"Actually...you got mad at the broom guy and walked away without paying attention to where you were going..." I glanced down at my hand, and noticed she was still holding it. "C-can I have my hand back now?"  
  
Ukyou dropped my hand in surprise. "Oh."  
  
Silence reigned supreme for a few awkward minutes while crazy chef girl read the map. Finally, she looked up. "This isn't on the map."  
  
"No shit."  
  
She glared. "Don't try to blame this all on me. As if YOU'VE never gotten us lost before."  
  
"I'm not trying to blame it on you." Even if it is her fault. "I blame it on the uh...shampooed purple grisly bear thing... What was that?"  
  
Ukyou folded up the map and put it in her pocket. "I have no idea. I never thought there were this many crazy people in rural Japan. I can't wait to get to Nerima where normal people are."  
  
"Ranma's normal?"  
  
"At least he's not a purple grisly bear...not since I last saw him anyways."  
  
"Heh, I've never met him." Oops! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!  
  
Ukyou tripped and fall on her face. She quickly recovered and looked at me with surprise. "YOU'VE NEVER MET HIM?!"  
  
"Uh...well I guess I've met him, but I don't think it counts uh..um..."  
  
Daaaaaaaamn it! Must change the subject! Can't let her find out! Gotta find a distraction!  
  
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!  
  
AHHHHHHHH! NOT THAT DISTRACTION!  
  
So I did anything any manly man woulda done--  
  
I ran away.  
  
"Ryouga! Where are you going?"  
  
"Giant pig coming! Run away!"  
  
"Wah?" Ukyou looked behind her just in time to see the pig rampaging, or walking as the owner thinks of it, toward her. She had just enough time to throw herself off the path. At the same time I threw myself into the opposite direction.  
  
Which happened to be the edge of the cliff.  
  
I had a fleeting image of a giant porker and a girl riding on it, before I was knocked senseless. Which means, I hit the ground really hard 'cause I didn't have much sense to begin with...  
  
----  
  
When I woke up Ukyou was nowhere to be seen, and the only thing left of the pig was its track indentions on the ground.  
  
Which means I'm lost, alone, and in a freakish forest with giant animals that will probably try to eat me sooner or later.  
  
I'm sure I can blame this on Ranma somehow...  
  
----  
  
9 days later...I came to the end of the forest.  
  
"Finally..." I collapsed on the ground, next to a sign. "I didn't think I would ever get out of there..."  
  
Damn, Ukyou! She left behind! Everyone leaves me behind!  
  
I frowned.  
  
It's not like we were friends or anything. Yeah, who cares about the crazy chef? I hope she got out of the forest ok...Feh! Who cares if she got out of the forest? I don't. I don't care. I'm better off by myself...Sure I'm not ever going to get where I'm going. I won't have to hear her yelling at me or trying to get me to tell her about my past...I'm better off.  
  
Still...I hate being left behind.   
  
A man walked by me.  
  
Huh, I must have reached some kind of civilization. I wonder where I am?  
  
I stopped the stranger. "Excuse me, but where am I?"  
  
The man raised an eyebrow and pointed to the sign I was leaning against.  
  
I looked behind me...  
  
"Welcome to...Nerima?"  
  
....  
  
"YEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"  
  
----  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Contact Info:  
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com  
http://www.geocities.com/ashez2ashes/  
  
Hmm...did Ukyou leave Ryouga, or was it vice versa? ^_- Kudos to everyone who caught all of the appearances. As always C&C is greatly needed, and is the only way I'll write more. Please, help my small little ego.   
  
As for the next chapter: expect a certain loud mouth pigtailed boy to come onto the scene...  
  
Ranma: Finally! Yeah! ...Uh, I don't mean that I'M the loud mouthed...damn it!  
Ashes: ^_^ Quiet you. 


	5. Part 5

Contact Info:   
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com  
aol instant messenger: ashes chan  
http://www.geocities.com/ashez2ashes/  
  
  
-----  
Disclaimer: Don't own Ranma. Never have, never will. In fact, I don't want to own Ranma. I want to own Ryouga! Mwhahahaha...err ha.  
  
Ranma: I'm in this chapter! Yeah!  
ashes: Why do you keep showing up in my disclaimers?!  
Ranma: Cause I'm _THE MAN_.  
ashes: .....  
  
----  
The One Left Behind  
Part 5  
----  
  
I'm...in Nerima?  
  
I'm...I'm...in Nerima!  
  
I'm...err...repeating myself.  
  
But I'm in Nerima so who cares! Whoo hoo! I can repeat things all I want! REPEAT! REPEAT! REPEAT! REPEAT! REPEAT! REPEAT! REPEAT!  
  
Hey, that word sounds weird now.  
  
I'm finally going to have my revenge. I'll finally show them how strong I am and that they left the wrong one behind. I'll make them pay for all the nights mom cried herself to sleep. I'll make them pay for letting me be the only one at mom's funeral. It rained so much that day...  
  
GRRRRRRRRRWWWWWRRR  
  
Wha?  
  
GRRRRRRWWWWWRRR  
  
Where is that growling sound coming from?   
  
A couple of passerby glanced around, wondering where it was coming from too. Was it that purple grisly bear again?  
  
GRRRRRRRWWWWWRRRRRRR.  
  
OOOOOOOOOOOOH! It's me! When was the last time I ate anything anyways? Hmmm, at least five days...um...that can't be good.  
  
Ack...vision...blurring...must find food...  
  
"Come and get it! Fresh bread! The last bread of the day!"  
  
I squinted across the road and saw a kinda fat lady selling bread at a little stand. Wow! How lucky! I'm just in time!  
  
I grabbed my pack and ran over...I was almost there--  
  
CRASH!  
  
"Ow..." I sat up from the ground and rubbed my head. Gah, now the world's even MORE spinny. Whatever the hell I hit was pretty hard...I didn't get hit by a truck again did I?  
  
"Ow..." said the pigtailed truck wearing a red shirt.  
  
Err, wait. That's some guy.   
  
The world spun a couple more times as I got up slowly and picked up my pack. Did the thing get heavier all of a sudden? Oh well... "Um, sorry for running into you. Excuse me."  
  
"Eh..." The guy stood up looking confused as if no one ever apologized to him before. He brushed some dirt off his Chinese shirt. "Yeah. It's ok. I guess."  
  
I turned around and walked away...  
  
Ack! Chinese shirt?! If he's wearing a red chinese shirt, that can only mean one thing!  
  
I ran back to him.  
  
"I'm not in China am I?!"  
  
"You're in Japan..." The guy looked at me like he'd never met anyone who didn't know what country they were in.  
  
"Oh. Good."  
  
I ran toward the bread stand again, passing various people hanging around in the park and a little dog walking around sniffing the ground. Hmm, he must be hungry too.  
  
Finally, I reached the lady and reached out my hand for the last loaf of bread. My fingers curled around it as I pulled--  
  
and pulled...and...huh?  
  
I looked over, and saw the Pigtailed Guy holding onto the bread too.  
  
"Hey! Let go of my bread!" I glared at the pigtailed boy. Who does this complete stranger think he is?! Trying to steal bread from a starving man! It's like he's Ranma or something!  
  
The Pigtailed Guy glared back. "I was here first!" He pulled the bread toward him.  
  
I braced my feet on the ground and pulled back. "Let go!"  
  
"You let go!" The stupid guy pulled _MY_ bread toward him again and then tried to sweep my feet. My martial artist instincts kicked in and I barely jumped in time.  
  
"Go get your own damn bread!" I kicked at his side, which he avoided. He's not bad... Ha! Good! Go ahead and try to knock me down a couple more times China boy! If he's a martial artist, I'm allowed to beat him up!  
  
The pigtailed boy looked mildy surprised and then grinned. "Look over there!"  
  
"Eh?" I turned around and almost lost my handhold on the bread. Ack! "Hey! Only cowards resort to tricks! Why don't you fight me for real?!"  
  
"Really?" The pigtailed boy's face looked all happy as if I'd just given him the bread. "Ok! Let's fight for it!"  
  
Huh? Why is he so happy about it?! He probably thinks I'll be easy to defeat! I'LL SHOW HIM!  
  
"FINE! PREPARE TO DIE PIGTAILED GUY!"  
  
The Pigtailed Guy sat the bread down out of our way.  
  
We both fell into fighting stances. I could tell he was pretty good from his stance...which looked vaguely familiar. Oh well. I gathered my energy and focused it to a razor sharp point. I wasn't going to pass out here. I can't be brought down until I get my revenge on Ranma! We both glared, waiting for the other to make a move. After awhile when it was obvious that pigtailed boy wasn't gonna move, I caved. My muscles clenched and I readied myself to jump--  
  
CHOMP!   
  
A little dog grabbed the bread and happily walked away.  
  
Huh?  
  
..........  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"  
  
The bread seller lady glared at us. "Well SOMEONE is going to have to pay for that."  
  
"I'm not payin for nuthin I didn't eat lady!"   
  
He's got a point there. It wasn't MY fault there were bread-stealing dogs roaming the park! If it was my dog, It might be my fault. Grr...but MY dog was eaten by that damn sumo pig! Poor, poor checkers I knew her well.  
  
"I think the pigtailed guy is right. Sorry ma'am. Make the dog pay."  
  
"PAY FOR THE GODDAMN BREAD NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
..........  
  
Me and Pigtailed Guy threw some money toward the lady.  
  
"Thank you for your buisness!" The lady picked up her cart and walked away, whistling happily.  
  
I looked around. No food...this wasn't good. "What do we do now?"  
  
"We could still fight."  
  
"I guess we--"  
  
GRRRRRRRWWWWWRRRRRRR  
  
"Ah!" I heard some guy scream. "He killed him!"  
  
Err...world spinny...how did I end up on the ground? Maybe I take nap. Nap be good...  
  
"He's dead!" some lady in the park said. Wow...losta people in the park...Neato...  
  
"No he's not!" Pigtailed Boy shook me by the shoulders. "Wake up man!"  
  
Why am I laying on the ground? Hmm..oh yeah. Food. I need some of it. "Food....blacking out..."  
  
"That poor boy!" That was that lady again. I like that lady.  
  
"I ...I didn't do nuthin!" I heard a gulp and then felt my shoulders being shook a bit more. "What's wrong with you? Don't go dying and getting me blamed for it!"  
  
"...I haven't eaten in five days..."  
  
My eyes focused and I saw Pigtailed Boy lean down next to me on the ground, looking at me. "At least you haven't had to eat poison food the last five days."  
  
"I'd take poison food over no food."  
  
"He's trying to finish him off!" I like that stranger guy too. Heh heh...This is kinda funny...  
  
I snickered.  
  
"What's so funny?!"  
  
"Eh..." I got up slowly...The world turned inside out..."Hmm...I'm kinda hungry."  
  
The pigtailed boy caught me before I fell down again and helped me stand. Hey...that's kinda nice of him. He's still a bread-stealing jerk though.   
  
"Why didn't you eat something?"  
  
"I was lost..."  
  
"It's no fun fighting you like this..."  
  
"I can still fight..." I pushed away from him. Whoa there's the ground again...Spiiiiiny...  
  
"Ack! Stop moving man! Fine. I'll take you to the dojo, Kasumi can fill you up with non lethal food, and then I can beat you up."  
  
Food be good. I like food.  
  
"Ok...err I mean I'll beat you up instead..."  
  
We started to walk off into some kinda direction. At least, I think I was walking...  
  
"I haven't seen you here before. Ya new?"  
  
"Err...I'm looking for someone."  
  
"Who? You're not looking for me are you?"  
  
"Nah, I'll recognize this guy when I see him. He's my brother."  
  
"Ooooh. By the way, my name is--"  
  
----  
  
"Oh poor dear. He passed out."  
  
Wha? Where the hell am I now? I'm...hearing voices. Oh no! I waited too long to eat and died! Oh the unfairness of life! Damn you Ranma! Damn you Genma!  
  
I half opened one eye and closed it quickly.  
  
It doesn't look like the River Styx. It kinda resembles someone's house...What if I'm on a houseboat on the River Styx?! That's even worse!  
  
"Hey, bandanna boy. Wake up."  
  
There are those voices of the dead again. Cut down in the prime of my life, before I could get my revenge! Such a tragedy...But I'll get to see Mom again. She'll be so disappointed...  
  
"Come on! Get up man!"  
  
Huh? Is that Pigtailed Guy?   
  
I slowly opened my eyes. I seemed to be in some kind of house. It looked like a normal house...no shrunken heads, shinagami, or anything. That's a good sign.  
  
I slowly sat up, ignoring the pounding in my head. The room focused a bit more...  
  
"Bringing hobos to the house now? At least he's a good looking one."  
  
I looked up and noticed a girl with short black hair and even shorter jeans glaring at me. Wow...those jeans really WERE pretty short...  
  
ACK! LOOK AWAY!  
  
I looked to the left and noticed another girl with short hair, glaring at me suspiciously. She had a gi on, and looked like she had just gotten back from a training session. The sweat on her body made her white top...  
  
ACK! LOOK AWAY!  
  
I turned to the right and noticed a longhaired lady in a dress smiling at me. She was perfectly poised and kinda motherly like. Phew! I'm safe. Standing next to her was Pigtailed Guy.  
  
The nice lady looked like she was about to walk over, when short jeans girl walked in front of her and bent toward me.  
  
"Are you rich?" She squinted at me, as if appraising a piece of beef at a butcher shop.  
  
"Err...no." I shook my head.  
  
"Nabiki!" The martial arts girl glared at...Nabiki? I guess that's her name.  
  
Nabiki giggled, walked away, and proceeded to ignore my existance.  
  
What have I gotten myself into? I'm...sitting on some strange girls' floor!...I suppose there's only one thing I CAN do.  
  
I jumped to my feet. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to impose on youI'lljustleavenowexcusemybadmanors!"  
  
"Hello! My name is Kasumi Tendo." She smiled impossibly bright, and I felt that if I would ever accidentally do her any wrong, the void to hell would instantly suck me up. You gotta watch out for that void. It's everywhere...   
  
Kasumi's smile seemed to widen, if such a thing was possible. "It's no trouble at all! No one ever brings any of their little friends over.  
  
I blinked. "Little?"  
  
Pigtailed Guy blinked. "Friends?"  
  
I shook my head and bowed. "Hello. I'm sorry. You are mistaken, Miss. We're really enemies and we're going to have an ultimate battle later."  
  
Kasumi's smile stayed in place. "Will you be staying over night?"  
  
"Huh?" Don't...understand....very...confused....must smile and nod anyways.  
  
"I'll have to set an extra place for your ultimate enemy friend." Kasumi walked off to the kitchen gracefully. At least, Pigtailed Guy looked confused too.  
  
"Um...uh..thank you?"  
  
"You're welcome!" Kasumi called super cheerfully from the kitchen.  
  
Martial artist girl seem to change her mind, and walked up to me. "Hi I'm Akane. Whatever he's done to you." She pointed at Pigtailed Guy. "I'm sorry."  
  
Pigtailed Guy glared at Akane. "I didn't do nuthin!"  
  
"Huh?" Sooo...very...confused. I've been saying 'huh' a lot lately...This town seems a little odd to me. That Kasumi lady seems really nice, though. I guess I can stay. I don't want to disappoint her. She reminds me a little of my mother when she was younger...except without the giant umbrella...or the hitting...or the obsession with honor and seppuku...  
  
I can still hear her voice like it was yesterday...'Ryouga! You failed your geography test! Commit Seppuku! Ryouga! You tracked mud into the house! The family is disgraced! Commit Seppuku! What do you mean you let the kid live that tried to steal your pocky?! What kinda man are you? Commit Seppuku! You forgot to buy eggs on the way home from school?! I don't care that you actually MADE it home! Seppuku!'  
  
Ah. I really miss her.  
  
Akane and Pigtailed Guy sat down at the table as Kasumi set out the food. I walked over and sat between them. Now what? I feel really...awkward. A few minutes passed and two older men joined the table. One was dark haired and had a moustache, the other was bald with a white gi on. Baldy looked kinda familiar...Heh. I meet a lot of people on my travels. He could be anyone.  
  
Pigtailed Guy leand back and raised an eyebrow at Akane. "Are you really gonna wear your practice clothes?"  
  
"What of it?" Akane glared at the boy.  
  
Pigtailed guy shrugged. "Whatever. If you want to be all stinky, that's your business."  
  
Ack!  
  
I leaned back just in time as Akane punched the guy in the face. Pigtailed guy looked cross-eyed for a few moments.  
  
People shouldn't be acting like that at the dinner table! Someone else could accidentally get caught up in the ensuing void to hell!  
  
"That was very rude."  
  
Akane and pigtailed glanced at me, all surprised. What's their problem? I leveled a nice, cold, ruthless, smoldering, threatening glare at Pigtailed Guy...it was pretty cool. I coulda been in a samurai movie.   
  
"You shouldn't have said that to her."  
  
Akane became instantly friendlier toward me.  
  
"Thank you, Ryouga." She smiled at me. Wow...she's got a pretty smile. Baldy's eyes widened and he shifted in his seat a bit. He must be really hungry. The food has to be great if he's all anxious and nervous for it to come. It's been a long time since I've had a home-cooked meal by a lady!  
  
Okonomiyaki doesn't count. And let's not even get into the lady thing.  
  
I paused as food was sat down. I filled my bowl up quickly...Baldy and Pigtailed guy were having some kind of war over the pickles...They must be really good pickles. In several seconds they had inhaled the pickles and moved their reign of terror to the curry. As I watched the Pigtailed Guy and Fat Bald Man ripping into their rice, I got the sudden urge to eat politely. VERY politely. The pretty Akane girl kept glancing at them and grimacing.  
  
I took slow deliberate, orderly bites. I even employed that whole napkin thing.  
  
Akane paused in eating and smiled at me again. "So how'd you meet the jerk?"  
  
I shrugged. "He stole my bread."  
  
Akane transformed into the void to hell personified and turned toward Pigtailed Guy. "YOU STOLE BREAD FROM A STARVING PERSON?!"  
  
Pigtailed Guy stopped with his chopsticks in mid-air. "It was _MY_ bread."  
  
Akane looked at me with pity. "You poor person..." She glared at Pigtailed Guy again. "You shouldn't pick on the weak, jerk."  
  
I started to choke on my curry.  
  
Pigtailed boy grinned evilly. "Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't pick on WEAK and DEFENSELESS people."  
  
My chopsticks snapped in half.  
  
Kasumi sat down at the table with us. I really should have helped her bring the things to the table...whoops. It's for the best. She probably didn't want one of her dishes to end up in Kyoto. Kasumi smiled at me.  
  
Man...what's up with all these girls and their smiles? They're killing me.   
  
Kasumi smiled even wider and handed me a new pair of chopsticks. Ack...another smile. "What brings you to Nerima?"  
  
"Are you trying to kill someone?" Akane took a sip of water.  
  
"Um..."  
  
Baldy coughed.  
  
"Is he trying to kill you?" She pointed at Pigtailed Guy.  
  
"Nah, I already asked him that." Pigtailed Guy shoveled more food into his mouth. "He's looking for his brother."  
  
Baldy began to choke.  
  
"Why are you looking for your brother?"  
  
Pigtailed Guy swiped some of Baldy's food as Baldy began to cough violently.  
  
"Um...well...it's..."  
  
"What's wrong?" Kasumi tilted her head and looked up at me with these big huge motherly eyes and oh damn Ican't lie to this woman. But I can't tell the truth! And...ack! THOSE EYES! DOESN'T SHE HAVE TO BLINK?!  
  
Can't...resist...Aw damn it.  
  
"I'm looking for him to get revenge...for the way they treated my mom." I concentrated on the food on my plate.  
  
Akane's voice got softer. "Your mom? What happened to her?"  
  
"Oh um......" DAMN IT! SHE'S GOT THE EYES TOO! I glanced back down. "She... died..."  
  
Baldy passed out.  
  
Pigtailed Guy took advantage of the situation and stole Baldy's whole plate. "What's wrong with you Pops?" He poked him with his chopstick.  
  
"I'm so sorry..." Akane glanced sadly down at her plate. "I know the feeling. My mom died when I was little."  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry Miss! I didn't mean to make you sad! Please, excuse me. I shouldn't be eating your food, taking advantage of your kindness! What kind of horrible person am I?!"  
  
Akane smiled again, the sadness gone from her eyes. "Calm down! Don't be silly! Eat!"  
  
I smiled back and started to eat my food. It was pretty good. Kasumi was a very good cook.  
  
Pigtailed guy looked at Akane out of the corner of his eye and then at me. His eyes seemed to narrow just slightly...Hmmmmm...OH! He's jealous? So he likes her? I hope they're not related or anything. I never want to relive that day with the family in the wilderness...Banjos still haunt my dreams.   
  
Hee hee...I've got an evil idea. Time for revenge.  
  
I leaned over toward Pigtailed and lowered my voice to a whisper. "I'm sure she'd smile at you too, if you were nicer to her."  
  
Pigtailed Guy missed his mouth with his chopsticks and almost poked himself in the eye. "Whatever." He wiped a stray kernel from his eyebrow.  
  
I've found a weakness in my opponent. Heh heh...  
  
I should ask these guys if they know anything about Ranma and Genma. They look like nice people. That pigtailed guy doesn't seem too bad. I guess I could ask him later...  
  
Ack! What is his name?  
  
"It's nice to see such a polite young man." That was Kasumi again. I'm...polite? When did that happen?  
  
"Yeah, I wish _SOMEONE ELSE_ had some of your manners." Akane rolled her eyes.  
  
Manners? How bad _IS_ this guy? AND WHY DOESN'T ANYONE SAY HIS NAME?!  
  
"Um...Mom taught me to always be polite to girls..."  
  
Baldy's unconscious body twitched.  
  
Pigtailed Guy looked weird for a second. Was that a...sad look? It's hard to tell...it was gone pretty quickly.  
  
I need to know his name! Man, this guy brings me to dinner at his house and I don't even remember his name?! I can't challenge him later and go, 'I challenge you! Guy-who-fed-me-dinner-but-I-don't-remember-your name-! Prepare to die!'  
  
Feh, no way. You gotta know the name of someone before you have an honorable ultimate battle with him. It's the honorable thing to do. And it's one of the EASY codes to follow. Not that I pick and choose the codes I like or anything...  
  
Awww, man. I can't ask him now! How would that look? They know MY name and everything! Maybe if I wait around and listen, eventually one of them will say his name. Yeah...that's what I'll do...  
  
Boom! Boom! Boom!  
  
I dropped my chopsticks in surprise.  
  
Boom! Boom! Boom!  
  
That's not...no it can't be...can it?  
  
I glanced around...several minutes passed... Then I heard...THE OINK.  
  
And I knew I was doomed.  
  
-----------------  
  
  
Send C&C to:  
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com  
http://www.geocities.com/ashez2ashes/  
  
  
Ryouga: Ranma's out of character! He's being nice!  
Ashes: Actually, Ranma's really not all that--  
Ranma: Ryouga's out of character! He hasn't hit me for no reason ONCE!  
Ashes: Hey...  
Ryouga: What do you mean FOR NO REASON?! DIE RANMA!  
Ashes:...... 


	6. Part 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my college expenses...whoo...hoo.  
  
Contact Info:  
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com  
http://www.geocities.com/ashez2ashes/  
  
----  
The One Left Behind  
Part 6  
----  
  
  
Oink.  
  
The sound of a pig.   
  
Not a normal pig either. Nooooo, she couldn't have a normal pig. Normal pigs aren't the size of elephants. Normal pigs don't show up at your tenth birthday party and destroy your cake and then EAT YOU WHOLE. With normal pigs, you wouldn't be trapped in its stomach, wondering if you're going to be digested or...well I'm not sure which is worse!  
  
I hate pigs!  
  
Can't they hear it?! They just sit there like they can't hear it! It's too late to run, it must almost be to the front door. I'm doomed. I shall miss...well no I won't miss the world all that much.  
  
Oink.  
  
Damn it! Are they deaf?! They just sit there, eating away happily. I don't want to die like this! I still have to beat up Ranma! Oh, and Pigtailed Guy too.  
  
Heh, so many things to do...  
  
Shit! It broke through the fence!   
  
Everyone else looked like they heard it, but no one made any move to do anything about it...Do crazy people just burst through their fence everyday?! What's wrong with these people?!  
  
It's getting closer...Thunder rumbled. Is a storm coming? Typical, I can't even die during nice weather.  
  
I was tempted to close my eyes, but I kept them open. A man meets his doom with courage...and I really don't want that Akane girl see me scream like a woman.  
  
Lightening flashed...This is it. Good bye cruel world. You gave me nothing and I gave nothing in return...damn. My life's depressing.  
  
As the sky slowly cleared my doom appeared in the form of a p--...huh? Ryu?  
  
What's he doing here?  
  
Ryu stood defiantly a few feet away from the house. His clothes were tattered and he looked like he had dragged himself through hell and back. His bandanna lay lopsided on his forehead and a crazed glint was in his eyes.  
  
Kinda reminds me of the way I looked when mom left me at the subways to wander around for days as special training. Ah, those were good times.  
  
"I'm going to kill your whole damn family line!" Ryu laughed manically. "Screw the forbidden techniques!"  
  
Ryu reached behind his back and held up a...bazooka?! Where the hell did he get a bazooka?!   
  
Shit, did he find a "crazed and military minded" store?! You can't find those sorts of things in Japan! But where else could he have found such ugly pants?  
  
What to do? If I even twitch he'll blow us away...but oh well! He's not _HER_! Happy day! A bazooka is pointed at my face instead! The gods have taken pity on me.  
  
Ok, so I'm going to die from a bazooka...that's slightly better than death by pig. Perhaps, I should do something so this family doesn't get blown up? That Kasumi lady makes very nice curry. I can't let these innocent people die because of me...Well maybe Pigtail Guy can die. I don't care much about him. But the girls! I must save the girls!  
  
I readied myself for my suicidal attack plan.  
  
Then Pigtailed guy said something very stupid.  
  
"Hey Pop, do you know who this guy is?"  
  
That moron!  
  
Baldy shrugged. "I don't know. The name sounds familiar..."  
  
That other moron!  
  
Ryu screamed.  
  
"HOW DARE YOU NOT REMEMBER WHO I AM!" He flipped a few switches on his bazooka.  
  
"I'll make you pay for my father's life and dojo!" Ryu turned more crazed. "BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY..." He paused as thunder crashed. "THIS IS PAY BACK FOR THE ANGRY FAT WOMEN!"  
  
I started to sit up.  
  
"STOP!" Ryu yelled. Is he slobbering? The guy's really freaking me out.  
  
I stopped and Ryu laughed manically again. Laughing that much has to be hard on his throat...  
  
"You think your gonna knock this out of my hand huh? You gonna be fast, punk? Is that what your thinkin? HAHAHHAHHA! PATHETIC!!"  
  
Wow, he really IS slobbering. This is all very disturbing. Do I look like that when I'm pronouncing death to my enemies?  
  
"Do you know what it's like to be sat on by four ugly obese woman?! TO BE SMOTHERED BY THEIR UNGODLY HUGE UNDERWEAR?!" Ryu took a deep breathe. "WELL DO YOU?!"  
  
We all raised an eyebrow.  
  
"NOT LIKE THAT YOU PERVERTS! THEY STUFFED THEIR LAUNDRY DOWN MY THROAT! GAAAAAAH! I'LL BLOW YOU UP TWICE FOR THAT!" He paused. "AND YOU STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S LIKE! DO YOU?!"  
  
Everyone at the table shook their heads, except for baldy and Akane's father who nodded... Huh? Uh, better just forget I noticed that.  
  
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO CLIP THEIR TOENAILS?! DO YA, YA BASTARDS?!"  
  
Must...not...laugh out loud...  
  
Ryu lifted the bazooka higher on his shoulder.  
  
"DIE SAOTOME FAMILY! AND UH--" He paused, looking over at Akane and her sisters. "--FRIENDS!"   
  
Saotome family? This guy thinks this is MY family? Ha ha, loser.  
  
His hand went to the trigger. Pigtailed boy and me jumped up--ready to try a last ditch effort to stop him...  
  
Well, at least I'm not going to die by the pig...  
  
OINK!  
  
"RYOUGA-SAMA!"  
  
Ryu was suddenly grabbed by a giant pig and a girl with a pink stripe in her hair. The evil pig flung him over his back and bounded off happily. Ryu's screams echoed throughout the night as he was dragged into the darkness...  
  
His bazooka lay abandoned on the grass.  
  
Wow...  
  
I accidently snapped my chopsticks again.  
  
Kasumi gasped softly. "Oh my, you are very hard on my chopsticks..."  
  
Oops.  
  
The Pigtailed Guy looked up at me and grinned. "So, ya wanna fight now?"  
  
"Wuh?" Gotta gain back brain functions.  
  
Was I just saved? Wow...I think I owe you one world.  
  
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the baldy guy running away carrying a large backpack. What's his problem?  
  
Oh well! Who cares! I'm saved!  
  
---  
  
I had forgotten it could be like this. No revenge, no other agenda. When a fight is merely struggling through the blood, sweat, and tears until one of you cannot get up again...seeing who is the better man.  
  
I miss this.  
  
It should always be like this.  
  
Pigtailed guy landed another punch to my gut, sending me across the yard.  
  
I had requested the fight to be in the yard, their dojo looked nice so I didn't want to destroy it. It should be a better battleground as long as I don't slip in that stupid pond of theirs and crack my head open. That would end the fight rrreeeal fast.  
  
I pulled myself up and dodged a jump kick to my head.  
  
I had been able to get a good hit on his left shoulder. I could tell it was hurting him, he wasn't throwing as many punches with his left arm. But in the long run it really didn't matter much. He got twenty hits to my one. The guy was fast...almost inhumanly fast.   
  
All I need are one ore two more good hits, and he'll be down. Problem is, I can't last much longer.  
  
I kicked and punched as fast as I possibly could, and he dodged my attacks with ease.  
  
A dust cloud rose up from my last misplaced punch. I used the opportunity to rip off one of my bandannas and launch it in the air. I felt Pigtailed Guy coming, and raised my arms automatically to block the punch.  
  
Come on...take the bait...  
  
"It's over!" Pigtailed Guy yelled, and his fist descended upon my face in slow motion. I grinned as my bandanna came back in its arc.  
  
It slammed into the back of his head, and I used his momentum to flip him over. He flew and slammed into the side of the wall.  
  
HA! Damn straight it's over!  
  
I stood up, shakily, but that was only because I was uh...in awe of my victory. It wasn't because I was really hurt and in lots of pain, or anything crazy like that.  
  
"Down so quickly?" My bruised lips stretched into a grin.  
  
"Heh, that felt like a baby's kick..." Pigtailed Guy rose up again like some kind of zombie. Shit...he's almost as tough as me.  
  
This is great.  
  
Pigtailed guy grinned back, his bloody face matched my own. He's not giving up. They had always gave up by now. ...I've finally found a real opponent.  
  
I made my body fall back into a fighting stance. Finally, a worthy opponent. This is what I should be searching for! I can become stronger! I will not lose this fight of honor and sweat and tears! I will fight until I can no longer move and then push beyond my limits!  
  
Then a porta potty slammed into my head.  
  
"Ranma! I will defeat you and reclaim Shampoo! Hahaha! I knew a larger potty would work!"  
  
"Damn it Mousse! You got the wrong guy again!"  
  
And then all was darkness...again.  
  
----  
  
You'd think a person would get used to getting knocked unconscious every other day, but no, it's a surprise every time. One second your fighting a man to man fight, the next, your stuck under a toilet. At least it was empty, I lucked out on that.  
  
It's probably good that I'm not used to it. Because then If I was walking down the street, and a toilet falls on someone, I would probably think 'Oh it's just a toilet falling on someone. That happens all the time!' Then I'd leave and the guy would die. So, it's good not to get used to falling toilets.  
  
............what the hell am I talking about?!  
  
Shit! I have brain damage!  
  
I stood up too quickly, and slammed back into the futon.  
  
Ok...world spinning again. Not good, better take it easy.  
  
I stood slowly this time, like a normal guy who doesn't have brain damage. Really...no brain damage here...  
  
I checked my head for soft spots.  
  
I could hear voices talking as I opened my eyes. Through blurred vision, I glanced out a nearby window. It looked like it was late at night. The Pigtailed Guy and Kasumi were and sitting at the table. Pigtailed guy had some books strewn about...(who knew he could read?) and Kasumi was sewing something. They stopped and looked over at me when they noticed that I was awake.  
  
I rubbed my temples. "What happened?"  
  
Pigtailed Guy shrugged. "You got a toilet dropped on you."  
  
Stupid bastard.   
  
"That's obvious. Why were toilets falling from the sky?"  
  
"The guy's practically blind." Pigtailed Guy turned back to his paper and books. Hey...I got a pretty good hit on his head there, if the bandage is any indiction. Ha! I hope he's got more bruises then me. And brain damage too!   
  
"Mousse thought you were someone else." Pigtailed Guy shrugged.  
  
Wait...didn't that Mousse guy say...Ranma? But...that could only mean...  
  
THAT BASTARD THOUGHT I WAS RANMA! HOW DARE HE?! THAT'S IT! I'M PUTTING HIM ON MY LIST!  
  
I reached into my pocket and wrote the name 'Mousse' on my list.  
  
He...did say Ranma right? It's not the brain damage talking?  
  
Pigtailed Guy gave me a look. You know, one of those 'there's an insane person on a futon in my living room' type of looks.  
  
"What ARE you doing?"  
  
"Putting that guy Mousse on my list of people to kill."  
  
Kasumi looked up and smiled. "Like a to-do list? I make those when I have to go shopping." She laughed softly, in a way I think only this girl can. It's creepy, like a human being couldn't be that nice. You know, she could be a robot.  
  
"I guess that's sort of the same thing...." I rubbed my side. I sure collected the bruises today.   
  
She smiled and went back to her sewing. I put away my list because...you never know what kind of programming this robot girl could have. What if I said something "mean" and she threw a missile at me?  
  
What am I talking about? Uh oh...I did it again.  
  
I do not have brain damage...I do not have brain damage.  
  
"About the fight..." I scowled.   
  
I can't believe such a cool man to man fight ended like that. It's not right.  
  
"That Ba--" I stopped. Can't cuss around Kasumi robot. "That...bad man..." Ok that was a stupid substitution. "Interrupted our man to man fight!"  
  
"Heh." Pigtailed Guy smirked like the annoying bastard he is. "Good thing too or you woulda lost."  
  
"NO way! I was about to use my ultimate technique!"  
  
"Really?" Pigtailed Guy looked slightly hopeful.  
  
Well, not really, but that's the sorta thing that's supposed to happen when the hero seems to be on his last legs. Yeah, I'm sure I was on the verge of some dramatic last minute attack that may, or may not have glowed.  
  
I stood up and tried not to sway. "I demand a rematch!"  
  
Kasumi clapped her hands making me jump. She turned toward me and smiled. "You can sleep in the dojo and fight tomorrow! It'll be like a sleep over!"  
  
"Um..." said Pigtailed Guy.  
  
"Um..." said me. Not that I was copying or anything.  
  
"Kasumi..." Pigtailed Guy cleared his throat. "We're not little girls."  
  
"Hmm?" Kasumi was already walking away. "I better get a spare futon."  
  
"Wait I don't want to be a bur--" I blinked. "Where'd she go?"  
  
Super robot ninja skills! Wow!  
  
"Trust me man. Don't even try to argue with Kasumi." He stretched and went back to his work again. "It just ain't possible."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Jeez man, just sleep in the dojo and I'll beat the hell out of you tomorrow." He pointed toward the dojo.  
  
"Hey! Whose gonna beat the hell outta wh--"  
  
Pigtailed Guy waved his hand at me in a dismissive way and squinted at his homework. "Go away man, I got this work to do. I'm suppose to divide the square root of this triangle...but a triangle ain't square and I don't see a tree on it anywhere...stupid teachers."  
  
He preceeded to ignore me.  
  
I stomped away toward the dojo, in a towering infernal of rage that he would soon feel in the morning! Yeah...damn straight he would!  
  
Well, I thought I was going toward the dojo. Instead I wandered to the bathroom, kitchen, pond (damn that pond), closet, and some room that may or may not have been the basement. I aaaaalmost opened the girls bedroom doors, but thankfully they had signs on the doors. Can I can read! Unlike that Pigtailed guy whose just faking!  
  
Ah those wonderful signs...  
  
I finally ended up back on the lawn again. The dojo stood before me. I glanced behind me, Nabiki was leaning down toward the Bazooka. I suppose Ryu left it there.  
  
Ha ha. He's such an unlucky bastard. I wonder how long it'll take before Akari realizes he's not me? Akari's not stupid....but he does look just like me...  
  
Hopefully, it's sometime after their third or fourth child.  
  
"This should go for a good price..." Nabiki disarmed the bazooka and dragged it off... She's probably going to sell it on the black market. That girl scares me.  
  
After more wandering I finally got to the dojo. Damn thing must move around or something. I reached for the dojo door, stepped in, and immediately tripped over a sake bottle.  
  
Luckily, five more sake bottles broke my fall otherwise it could have been painful....  
  
I pulled myself up from the pile of litter. "Why is the dojo in the living room?"  
  
"This isn't the Dojo."  
  
"Eh? Are you sure?"  
  
Pigtailed Guy gave me one of "those" looks again.  
  
Pigtailed Guy closed his book. "What are you doing? I've seen you walk past here three times."  
  
Grrr...that's...not my fault! It's my...brain damage's fault?  
  
"I'm uh...what are YOU doing?"  
  
Yeah! Change the subject!  
  
"I'm doing homework. Stop wandering around the house will ya?"  
  
"Well...well...why are you still working on your homework? Too hard for you?"   
  
Not that I had room to talk. I haven't tried that school deal for away.  
  
"Yeah, well, I'm not some geeky math person. I'd just leave it, but a teacher nagged something about failing if I don't do it." He rolled his eyes as if it was a trivial matter.  
  
"Where did all the sake come from?"  
  
"It's Pop's and Mr. Tendo's stuff. Kasumi moved it here and was going to put it away, then Akane blew something up in the kitchen and she had to clean that up...Don't know where she is now."  
  
Doing ninja robot stuff no doubt.  
  
Pigtailed Guy shrugged. "You better stay away from it. That stuff will mess you up."  
  
"You sayin I can't handle it?!"  
  
I'll show him!  
  
"That's not what I'm sayin...Well heh. You probably couldn't."  
  
Look at him, with his little arrogant smirk. He probably knows I've never had that stuff before...Him and his mocking faces...grrr. "I could drink more than you!"  
  
"No way. you'd pass out before the first bottle. It's strong stuff."  
  
"Would not!" So what if I've never drunk before. Can't be that hard. "I can drink you under the table!"  
  
"Is that a challenge?"  
  
"Uh...yeah!"   
  
Uh oh.  
  
"Um...are you sure?"  
  
"Afraid of a little sake?" Awww man! I'm doomed!  
  
"Fine! First to pass out loses!   
  
"YOU'RE ON!"  
  
And thus, the drinking began...You know, when you think you have brain damage, getting drunk might not be that good of an idea...  
  
We decided to drink on the roof...Other than the possible side effect of breaking our necks, it was the safest place. He was worried about getting caught by Mr. Tendo, or that Akane girlfriend of his. Personally, I didn't want that Kasumi girl to see us. It'd be like, drinking in front of...um...well I can't think of anything as bad as that. She'd reprimand us, and it'd be scary. So there.  
  
Sake was worse than I thought. The liquid burned like fire on the way down. It blurred your vision and made your head spin like when you take one too many fists to the head. I like to think of it as 'beating in a bottle'.  
  
We sat and drank while watching the lightening as it ripped through the sky. In ancient times, they used to think it was the gods battling in the sky...Mom had always liked lightening. I like it too...  
  
Mom...I had managed not to think about her for awhile. My mom had always told me not to drink. I know the void is gunning for me because of this but...I couldn't back down. For some reason, I can't back down to this guy...he's a warrior too, and if I want to be a real man, I can't turn my back on challenges. I can't be a coward!  
  
I'm sorry mom.  
  
Pigtailed Guy opened up another sake bottle. "I've always liked lightening..."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
I kinda like this guy. I'm still gonna kick his ass tomorrow, but I might feel a little bad about it...maybe.  
  
Besides, I'm already rrrrrrrreally tipsy!  
  
Pigtailed Guy was startin to loosen up too. He kept talking about Akane. Apparently, he was engaged to her. You woulda thought an arranged marriage was a thing of the past. He has a stalker too. I know how that feels. He's being a wuss about it though, she doesn't even have a giant man-eating pet. Feh, the guy had lots of problems with women.  
  
"I'm tellin you! If she hits you, that means she likes ya!" I frowned and drunk a swig of sake. "Unless she's an okonomiyaki chef."  
  
But no matter how many times I told stupid Pigtailed Guy, he didn't get it.  
  
"No she doesn't! The tomboy hates me! When other girls glomp onto me she gets all angry and hits me! There's no way I'd marry that gorilla!"  
  
"No wonder she hits ya if you call her a gorilla. How hasn't the void gotten you yet?"  
  
"The what?" Ranma took a drink of his own bottle.  
  
"You know, the void that gets vengeance for women and sucks men into hell." I dropped my empty sake bottle.  
  
"...you're weird, man."  
  
"Feh, whatever. You guys just have your little unrequited love thing, see if I care." If they what to be all stupid, that's their problem.  
  
"It's not lu--it's not that! How can she lu--feel that way, if I ever tried to touch her, she'd put me in the hospital!"  
  
"Stupid!" I snatched the sake bottle from his hand and took another swig. "You can't go around groping girls! Haven't you ever read shoujo manga? You have to go around saying stuff like: 'Don't worry. I shall protect you forever!' Girls go crazy over that crap."  
  
Once when I was trapped in Akari's house, I read some to while away my captivity or until I was able to chew through the ropes on my ankles...I was only seven and really couldn't knock down thick wooden doors as easily as I can now.  
  
And well...I had to find out if Miki chose the angry blond warrior guy, or the red haired, kinda angry warrior guy.   
  
But after that I never read one again! Y-yeah. I wouldn't BUY that stuff. No sireeee.  
  
"Shoujo manga?" Pigtailed Guy grinned evilly. "You read shoujo manga?"  
  
Oops! "N-No way! I don--"  
  
"HAHHAHA! YOU READ GIRLS MANGA!"  
  
"SHUT UP!"  
  
We fought for a few minutes, but then gave up 'cause the world was getting all spinny.  
  
I plopped down on the ground. "The world is spinny..." I watched the sake swirl around in the bottle I was holding. Pretty...  
  
"So why you wanna kill your brother anyway?" Pigtailed Guy sat down beside me. "I mean, it can't be that bad having a brother."  
  
I scowled at the stars overhead. The lightening had finally faded away. "How do you know? Do you have one?  
  
"Nah, only child. Can't see Pop getting another woman...ew."  
  
No kidding.  
  
"Yeah, gross. No offense, but I can't see your dad with ANY woman." Yuck. Gross mental images...hmmm sake will make them go away.  
  
"Eh, Mom musta had some reason...Oh well. I like existing and all." I heard a clank as he dropped his empty bottle.  
  
Why not tell him? It couldn't hurt. He don't know Ranma. Yeeeah, sake says spill life story to guy I just met. Sake's smart.  
  
"So about my brother stuff, well, he's one of those stuck up, egotistical jerk guys."  
  
"Oh. Those guys suck." Pigtailed Guy hiccuped.  
  
"He thinks he's better than me." He does, I know it. He's Mr. First Born 'I'm so much better 'cause I was born two minutes earlier' Guy. It's so stupid and unfair. I lost before I was even born.  
  
"Does he knock you down and step on your face? I do that ta people a lot." Pigtailed Guy banged the sake bottle on the roof, shrugged, then busted the top off and started to drink from the bottom half.  
  
"Nah, I never met him....sake is good." Weee, I'm startin to loooose it. Oohhh weell.  
  
"Yeah. Hee hee. How do you know he thinks that if ya never met him?"  
  
"I just know." If he was a nice guy, I wouldn't be able ta beat him up. That's why. So he's gotta be a jerk. That's the way it's gonna be.  
  
"Okay man. That makes losta sense."  
  
"It does! Then my mom died, and I was angry and stuff. She still wanted to see them; said she loved them before she died. Dun know why. They never gave her nuthin." I downed two more bottles.  
  
"Bastards."  
  
"Vamn straight...err damn straight." I squeezed the bottle too hard and accidently busted it all over Pigtailed Guy.  
  
"Heeeey!"  
  
"Ha ha." For some reason, it was really funny. "You got sake on you man. Hee hee."  
  
Pigtailed Guy overturned his bottle on my head. "You got sake on YOU man."  
  
Suddenly it wasn't very funny anymore.  
  
"Bastard I'll kick--" I tried to stand up and fell back down again. "--your ass later." I stared at the blurry stars for a few minutes in silence, feeling a pinch of guilt seeping into my drunken mind. "My mom always told me not to drink..."  
  
Pigtailed Guy leaned back and stared at the stars again. "I never knew my mom. Went away and trained with stupid bald dad. You're lucky."  
  
"Nah. I'm Ryouga." Am I out of sake? Hmm that bad.  
  
"Stupid, I meant I wish I could meet my mom. But she far away, and she might make me kill myself. That'd be bad."  
  
"Sepuku?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Oh, everyboy's mom does that. Mine did too."  
  
"Oooooh."  
  
"Mom was always like you're not as good as Ranma go commit sepuku. Ranma this, and Ranma that. Ranma's so cool. Bla bla bla."  
  
"Wow! My name's Ranma too!"  
  
"What a coin-ced-enceda!"  
  
"Yeah! Whateva ya said! Aww, sake's gone."  
  
Sake gone? That bad. I got up and fell off the building. Which seemed to mean I was going somewhere. "I go get more!"  
  
So that was where I was goin!  
  
"Oooooookay!"  
  
I knocked down this fence thing that was in my way, then wandered off into the night in search of sake...  
  
----  
  
The Next morning, I woke up in a tree. How I had got in the tree I shall never know.  
  
"Where am I now?"  
  
My head is pounding. When did the sun get so damn bright? It's brigher than usual. Maybe the sun is going to fall onto the earth...that'd be cool. Gah, my body aches...Crap, even thinking hurts...what happened to me?  
  
I think I'm in a park somewhere...how did I get here? I remember drinking sake with Ranma then...  
  
R-Ranma?  
  
I fell out of the tree.  
  
"DAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMNNNNNN IIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!"  
  
----  
  
Contact Info:  
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com  
http://www.geocities.com/ashez2ashes/  
  
God, I wish I didn't take so long writing stuff. Hopefully the length of this helped a bit...  
  
Next Chapter: Who knows? It's time to make up stuff as I go along! ^_^;; Ukyou will probably be in the next chapter. I should be able to finish up this story is 2-3 chapters. No more than three for sure. It'd be so nice to actually finish something... 


	7. Part 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2. I get no rewards from writing this, save the joy of creating!........... Who am I kidding? Send the money in unmarked bills. My guy under the bridge will take care of the rest...Heh heh.  
  
Contact Info:  
  
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com  
  
http://www.geocities.com/ashez2ashes/  
  
----  
  
The One Left Behind  
  
Part 7  
  
----  
  
If you're planning on getting revenge, you better dig two graves.  
  
There is plenty of good advice like that I have never followed. Like "look before you leap" or "turn the other cheek" or "the ten second rule does not apply in mosquito infested swamps". In fact, I'm starting to wonder if I've been going through life with my hands over my ears.   
  
And oddly, despite all of that advice no one bothered to tell me how incredibly freakin bad alcohol tastes the second time around...Ugh. I wish the damn world would stop spinning.  
  
How could I have not noticed the pigtailed boy was Ranma? I hung out with him, fought with him, talked with him, GOT DRUNK with him and...I had no clue. Sure I didn't have any pictures of him other than a baby picture of the both of us but...shouldn't I have known?  
  
And the bald guy must have been Genma...   
  
I just let them get away.  
  
Why am I so weak minded?! Where are my convictions? Where is my determination? I made a vow at my mother's deathbed, damn it! You don't go back on those sorts of things!  
  
And yet...I can't help thinking...It wouldn't be that bad to have a brother...  
  
I wiped my mouth and stumbled back to sit underneath a tree. I had slept way past midday. It'd be dark in a couple of hours.  
  
I'm such an idiot...I laid down on the ground and sighed.  
  
Thinking sucks. But I don't have much to do right now as I sit in the shade. Everything feels too much. The sun is too bright, the chirping birds are too loud, and the grass is itchy. Grass has never been itchy before...  
  
Ugh, nothing tastes worse than vomit. I need to brush my teeth...and I will as soon as the world stops dancing a jig.  
  
The park I'm in is pretty much abandoned. Thank goodness. Nothing would have completed this shitty week like throwing up in front of a bunch of cute high school girls. I can hear them now: Eww! The stinky guy in the yellow shirt is puking! He'll never get a girlfriend! Ewwww!  
  
At least I know my drunken wanderings didn't take me too far. Thanks to a large sign reading "Nerima Park" that I vomited behind, I know that I'm still in the right area.   
  
There is another person across the lake, but I don't think she witnessed the amazing projectile vomit show. I can see the old woman sitting on a bench, feeding the birds. Why old ladies do that is beyond me. It's not like the birds can't get food for themselves. What kind of old ladies feed birds? Maybe she's an evil old lady and is feeding them poison bird seed or something. Heh.  
  
Hangovers suck.  
  
I stared at the lake, letting my mind go blank. I don't know how long I stayed like that, could have been a few hours. But no matter how much time passed, I was out of it and off of my guard. My haze was broken as ripples began suddenly appearing on the lake's surface.  
  
I didn't stand a chance.  
  
It rose from the lake like a bad horror movie and screamed a war cry. Vines clung to whatever it was like the creature from the black lagoon. Slowly its slime and mud covered head appeared from the inky depths of the lake. Its form was human, but the rest was some kind of sludge monster. Angry brown eyes glared through the muck. The rest of the body slithered out. Water dripped from its body. Clunk. The being was carrying something heavy. It stepped toward me.  
  
Clunk. Another step. Clunk.  
  
I could do nothing but stare in morbid fascination as my head pounded.  
  
Step. Clunk. Step.  
  
I was rooted to the spot. My body was frozen.  
  
Step. Clunk. Step.  
  
Then it opened its mouth and said something... and I knew my doom was sealed.  
  
"DAMN YOU RYOUGA! YOU LEFT ME BEHIND!"   
  
Oh, this was even BETTER than puking in front of high school girls! Whoo...hooo...  
  
Ukyou threw a portable grill in my face. "YOU ASSHOLE!"  
  
I pulled the massive clunky grill off of me. That was going to leave a bruise. "Ukyou! What the hell happened to you?!"  
  
Tears started to stream from the mud covered face. But the anger did not die. The void to hell personified was not going to let vengeance fade away so easily. No, it wanted blood! Male blood!  
  
"WHAT DIDN'T HAPPEN TO ME?! GIANT MONSTERS ATTACKED ME AND THERE WAS AN EVIL CREPE GUY AND A DRAGON THAT EATS GIRLS!" She flung her arms about angrily and bits of slime flew into my face. Ok I stand corrected. Some things do taste worse than vomit.  
  
Ukyou stopped in front of me and loomed. She had the looming down to an art. It felt like she had grown nine feet tall and nine feet wide. She took up my whole vision. Her brown eyes glinted with death.  
  
And she smelled pretty bad too.  
  
"THE DRAGON EATS JUST GIRLS! WHAT KIND OF SEXIST BULLSHIT IS THAT?!" She pulled off her muck covered spatula. "HOW--" Clang! "COULD-" Clang! "YOU--" Clang! "LEAVE--" Clang! "ME--" Clang! "THERE!"   
  
"Ow! I've got a hangover damn it! Stop it!" I stood on wobbly feet and tried to inch away.  
  
She tackled me like an American football player.  
  
"YOU JERK! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT! YOU'RE JUST LIKE RANMA!" She punched me in the back a couple times.  
  
Wait a minute! That's going too far! I turned around abruptly so she was straddling my chest. "I AM NOT LIKE RANMA!"  
  
"YES YOU ARE! I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE! HOW DARE YOU DITCH ME BEFORE I COULD DITCH YOU?!" She pounded my chest.  
  
"It was an accident! When the pig came I got lost and..." I paused. "What do you mean BEFORE YOU COULD DITCH ME?!"  
  
Ukyou's hands started to choke me. "AND YOUR HARD MUSCLES ARE HURTING MY HANDS YOU STUPID JERK!"  
  
"Ack...can't breathe...!"  
  
Her grip lessened suddenly, but held on weakly. "I JUST DON'T...like to be..." She feels kind of warm. "The... one... left behind." She abruptly slumped onto me.  
  
What the hell?  
  
"Hey! Ukyou! Wake up!" I shook her shoulders. "You were in the middle of beating me up!"  
  
No response. Her breathing was regular but shallow. She was out like a light.  
  
I put a hand to her forehead and winced. She was burning up. And she was...laying on top of me.  
  
Ack!  
  
Oh great! Just great! Now I have nosebleed blood all mixed in with the muck! Now I'm even more disgusting! What's wrong with you stupid body?! She's unconscious and she smells really bad! This is so not the time for reactions!!  
  
I rolled her off of me and onto the grass. Crap! What am I going to do? WhatamIgoingtodowhatamIgoingtodo?! Her temperature has to be at least 102! I can't take care of a sick person by myself! And with my sense of direction, I'll never make it to a clinic or a hospital! Damn it! Damn it all! Why do I have to be so defective?! She's going to die and it'll be all my fault! And she'll haunt me forever! I'll be eighty years old and her ghost will still be floating around going 'RYOoOUuGAa'S Aaaaa DUmBAaASSS.'  
  
Dammity damn damn damn damn ...  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
I jumped into the air and spun around. "W-what?"  
  
It was the old lady from across the lake. She looked concerned. "Is there some kind of trouble? Can I help you with something?"  
  
I looked at the lady with teary eyes. I know what kind of ladies feed the birds, nice old ladies!   
  
"Please Ma'am. My...friend seems to be sick. She needs a doctor, but I don't know the area. Can you show me where one is please?"  
  
The lady didn't seem to believe me completely. "Your friend that was beating you up a few moments ago?"  
  
"Oh uh...that. She's um..." I glanced over to see if Ukyou was still sound asleep. "She's emotionally unstable. Does that all the time." I tried to look saint like.  
  
The old lady shrugged and adjusted her pink purse. "Your girlfriend looks like she has strong birthing hips on her!"  
  
Huh? "No she's a girl and she's a friend, but she's not a girl--"  
  
"Yes yes," the lady interrupted, "Strong birthing hips! My son runs a clinic not too far from here. His name is Doctor Tofu. I'll take you there." She glanced at Ukyou.   
  
"Oh-okay." I picked up my pack. I might as well take her damn grill too. I hoisted the metal monstrosity with the other arm. The double straps strained my back muscles, but it wasn't more than I could take. Finally, I gently picked up Ukyou in my arms and tried to ignore her being there. This was important. There was no time to spaz out.  
  
Besides, there was no point in paying attention. I'm sure my brain will pick up too many details anyway and I can spaz out later.  
  
"Ok let's go." I looked up and locked eyes with the old lady. Who knows what she thinks of me. She probably thinks we're some runaway teenage couple or something. Ugh.  
  
She started walking off away from the park and I made sure to follow closely. I didn't want to be left behind.   
  
----  
  
I hope Ukyou doesn't remember that we stopped to hose her down.  
  
After an hour of walking, we made it to the clinic. Before we went in I stopped to drop Ukyou's disgusting grill in the front parking lot.   
  
A small flower bed was filled with roses and the windows sparkled like someone cleaned them often. We walked through the glass doors and into a reception area. A few chairs were set up against the walls, with a secretary area in front. The room branched off into at least three other rooms. The final patient of the day was hobbling out, slowly, with her head bent at a weird angle. What the heck did she do to herself to end up like that?  
  
We waited for less than a minute when a young man in a lab coat, looked like he was in his late twenties, walked out from a back room. His black hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck, like Ukyou does (I TOLD her it was a guy hairstyle). He wore thick glasses and his lab coat was white, but not TOO white as if he washed it regularly but it still got lots of use. That must be Doctor Tofu.  
  
Doctor Tofu, I assume that's who he is, walked up to us. He glanced at Ukyou and raised an eyebrow. I opened my mouth to explain, but he interrupted me.  
  
"Please, bring the patient into the sick room first. This way please." He beckoned with his hand and walked down a hallway and into a room. I repositioned Ukyou in my arms and followed.   
  
It wasn't far to go so I didn't get lost (6 feet I can manage). The room was small and filled with cots. Glass shelves lined the room and curtains separated each bed. We were the only people there.  
  
I sat Ukyou down on a bed softly. If I dropped her, there'd be hell to pay when she woke up.   
  
Doctor Tofu turned to the old lady, ignoring me for the moment. "Who have you brought me, Mother?"  
  
The old lady sighed melodramatically. "Two...run away teens."  
  
If I had been drinking water, I would have spit it out. "Uh ma'am we're not really...Uh we're not really running away from anything." Smooth. Rrrreeal smooth.  
  
Then the old lady's demeanor changed as she rounded on me. She raised a white eyebrow at me and opened her mouth slightly in shock. "You're not..."in trouble" are you?"  
  
Huh? I blinked. "What? Do you mean with the law?" Feh, as if the law could catch me!...which is definitely not what I should say.  
  
"You know very well buster!" She pointed a bony finger at me. "You were all over each other in the park!"  
  
I blinked again. "What do you..." Realization hit me like a giant tanuki statue to the head. "Hey! Ukyou is NOT p-p-pregnant!"  
  
Tofu pulled out a thermomter from his coat and stuck it in Ukyou's ear as his crazy mother continued to rant.  
  
"Kids these days. And you even smell like booze." The stupid bird feeding old lady shook her head. I bet she was poisoning those birds! "You better take responsibility for what you've done. Sure, she has great birthing hips, but that's no excuse!"  
  
I rubbed my temples as the hangover decided to wage war on my brain again. "Listen ma'am...Ukyou is NOT pregnant, let alone with mine, I mean, we're not even...and she'd never with me and...She's just not that kind of girl ok?!"  
  
"I just feel bad for the child..." The Old Lady sighed again.  
  
I tried to stop my imagination before it got away with me. You are not allowed to go to a scary imaginary place right now brain!  
  
Tofu sighed and pulled a thermoter from Ukyou's ear. "Mother please..." He glanced at the reading. "Ah, she's running a very high fever. Not dangerously high, but still high. She must have just collapsed from sheer exhaustion. I'll give her something to bring it down while I run some tests. You said her name was..?  
  
I glanced at Tofu. "Oh. Her name is Ukyou Kuonji."  
  
Doctor Tofu nodded. "And you are?"  
  
"Ryouga...Is she going to be ok? I don't have much money, but I can pay you." There goes the last of it. Time to start being a true mountain man and forage for nuts and berries in the wilderness for the rest of my life. Maybe someone will mistake me for big foot and I'll get on the news.  
  
Tofu sat on a stool near the cot. "She'll be fine. You can pay me however much you can now and give me the rest when you can." He smiled good naturedly.  
  
Someone is being nice to me. This is odd. Good..but odd. "Thanks!  
  
"Do you have a place to stay?" He stood up and busied himself with some doctor stuff. I'm not sure what he was doing but there were tubes and little plastic thingies he was throwing away.  
  
"We've been camping out. We're martial artists on a quest of sorts." I SUCK at lying don't I? I half expected Tofu to look weirded out and surprised, but he just shrugged.  
  
"We get a lot of those out here."  
  
Ooookaay...That's information that I better put away and think about later.  
  
The old lady tutted. She clinched her fists a few times, like her hands yearned for a frying pan to smack me with. "Making a pregnant woman wander around the country side. That poor girl."  
  
Argh! What's wrong with this woman? She's stupider than me.   
  
"Ukyou doesn't even look pregnant. Are you calling her fat? Ukyou is NOT fat!" Why isn't she ever conscious when I'm saying nice things about her?  
  
The old lady looked unconvinced. "Some people carry--"  
  
I cut her off. "Ukyou is NOT pregnant ok?! I've never touched her! Besides, she wouldn't even let me touch her if I even wanted to! Not that I do want to..." I glanced nervously to reassure myself she was still asleep. "She's just a friend ok?"  
  
Tofu stood up and straightened his coat. "It's getting late. I've got a spare room in the back you can use for the night if you want. The fever should break by morning, but I don't want her outside right now."  
  
The old lady looked flustered. "You can't encourage them..."  
  
Tofu shrugged and led the way out of the room.   
  
"It's not our place to judge. At any rate, he carried her and her things for quite awhile to get here and he was worried about her. I think that more than proves his character." He pushed his glasses back up his nose with his index finger. "Does she have a dry change of clothes?  
  
We stopped in the waiting room.  
  
"Uh...Her pack is in the grill. The thing was shut, so they might still be dry." The thing was nearly air tight. It could probably double as a vault.  
  
Doctor Tofu smiled at his mother, turning up the charm. "Mother, could you help me out? I don't mind, but she would probably feel better if a woman changed her out of her wet clothes."  
  
"All right..." The old lady slowly turned to leave and tossed one last glare at me over her shoulder as she left.  
  
Tofu showed me to a slightly dusty back room where I helped him set out several futons and some other stuff. It was a nice room, but bare and only had one small window. Nothing impressive, but the beige walls would keep out the cold. It would be a nice change from the outdoors. Doctor Tofu was an all right guy. I owe him one. I'll have to repay him later, somehow.  
  
Well, there's something I've got to look forward to, beyond Ranma and Genma.   
  
I sat in the waiting room for an hour before Tofu came back with the results. Apparently, she had gotten some kind of weird flu, but it wasn't life threatening. The doc told me some stuff and I really tried to listen, but occasionally I'd take a glance outside at the setting sun. Tofu said something about 'contagious'? Eh, we're close to where Ranma lives aren't we?  
  
"--And that should be everything. You got that?"  
  
"Sure." Got what?  
  
"I'll lock up and come by in the morning to check on you. Ukyou's in the back room, asleep. Good night." Tofu gave me a friendly pat on the shoulder and then went to drag his mother away.   
  
The old lady stopped to shove condoms and pamphlets on "responsibility" at me.  
  
I glanced at one of them with pictures and felt my face turning red. I just want to die. Right now. Melt into a puddle and disappear. Anything to escape the embarrassment. At least, psycho chef was asleep. I'd never hear the end of it if she wasn't.  
  
"You make sure to read ALL of those!" The evil old woman glared at me as her son dragged her off.  
  
The door was shut behind them and it was just me, Ukyou, Ukyou's germs, and my thoughts...  
  
----  
  
I can't help watching her sleep.  
  
Don't get me wrong, it's not in some creepy pervert way or anything. It's just a habit I guess. A sick people watching habit. Which DOES sound kind of creepy now that I think about it... But see, I've got a reason. I used to watch mom sleep when she was sick. I'd sit up all night watching, afraid I'd wake up and she'd be gone. It's silly I know. Ukyou's not that sick. The doc said she would be fine and her fever is already starting to break. But still...I feel better watching.  
  
Her eye lids keep twitching and she tosses and turns slightly in her sleep. I guess she's having a nightmare. The first time she did it, I almost woke her up. But then, she would settle down suddenly and everything would be ok.  
  
I reached over and took the warm washcloth from her forehead and dipped it in the bowl of cold water sitting beside our futons. I rung the cloth out and gently put it back on her forehead. She sighed and the eye twitching thing stopped. I wonder what she's dreaming about.  
  
She's probably dreaming about killing Ranma. She sure is violent...I still don't understand her reason for giving up her femininity. She was only what? 5? 6? I can understand why she wouldn't want to be dainty and giggly like a normal girl. But to completely give it up? I would hate being wimpy too but...I'm a guy. She's a girl. Aren't girls supposed to like that sort of thing?   
  
Well, she's good at cooking and she's good at fighting, but I don't know how good she's at being a guy. Even when I thought she was a guy, I thought she was a really GIRLY guy. She still walks like a girl. She still smiles like a girl...Ok, she cusses like a sailor, I'll give her that. And she sure as hell hits like a guy.  
  
I rubbed the bump on my head where she had whacked me with a spatula.  
  
Who needs really girly girls anyway? You have to be all careful and nice around them or they start crying and send their giant sumo pig out to eat you. I try to be nice to them anyway, but who knows what will set them off? They're strange confusing unpredictable creatures! They want you to be honest with them, then they expect you to always say no when they ask if they're fat. Or when they ask if their sumo pig scared the rest of the kids. Gee, no Akari, the elementary baseball team enjoyed getting trampled. They're just crying because it was so much fun!  
  
Feh...  
  
But Ukyou isn't like that. If you say something stupid to her, she just beats you upside the head and then it's all good. That's...nice. Ok that's not supposed to be nice, but it is for some reason. Simpler maybe? She's not like a girl she's like...a real person.  
  
She's not that bad the way she is. But I can't very well pull out some after-school-special morality and say she should be happy for who she is. I have no ground to stand on. I hate my brother and father and I haven't told anyone my last name in over a year.  
  
I wonder if she hates me now? Does it really matter? She's going to hate me when she finds out the truth. I can't hide who I am forever. God damn it then she'll look at me...not like the glare she uses for the guy that accidently got lost and let her fight off a dragon by herself. I could deal with that. No, she'll look at me like the brother of her mortal enemy, like the guy who has been lying to her for over a month. She'll hate me.  
  
That's gonna suck.  
  
I pulled her covers over her shoulders. They had fallen down during the night.   
  
This night seems never ending. Time plods along like an old man with a broken hip. I leaned back against the wooden wall.  
  
Quit it, Ryouga. Focus. I'm not just staying awake for her benefit. Even though staying up just for her sounds nice, I've got too much to think about. Too many decisions need to be made. Too many bridges need to be burned.  
  
How did my life turn out this way? How did I go from a junior high student living with his mother, to a homeless , friendless, junior high dropout who is out to kill his brother and father? I could be the star guest on a trashy late night talk show. "Next on Confidential Confession! Dropouts who try to kill their families!"  
  
Everything was so clear yesterday. Find Ranma and Genma. Kick their asses. Ruin their happiness. Simple, right? But then I meet Ranma and...he's not that bad of a guy. Sure he's not a saint, but he isn't the grade A asshole I had expected him to be. And no matter how hard I sit here and try to muster up some angst and anger I STILL CAN'T HATE HIM!  
  
DAMN IT! If I hadn't actually talked to him, everything would be fine. I could have came, kicked some ass, and conquered. Ok...so maybe the ass kicking would have been a bit mutual. Ranma was tougher than I expected. That was a great fight...STOP BRAIN! HATE! ANGER! COME FOURTH FROM MY SOUL AND GET VENGEANCE!  
  
....ok even posturing isn't working. Something is seriously wrong with me. Genma hating is still working out just fine, but he had never been my prime concern. I'm such a fool. All those years wasted hating someone who doesn't even know I exist. And why the hell doesn't he know I exist? Would knowing he has a brother make him WEAK or something? Were they afraid we'd meet and then we'd both have a friend in this cold world? Afraid we'd gang up on them and have something in our lives other than training?  
  
That's the whole point, isn't it? Keeping him in the dark helped make him into a training machine. And playing me against him, kept me wanting to become stronger and stronger as I stared at his imaginary back.  
  
But mom wouldn't do that...would she?  
  
ARGH! WHO CARES! IT DOESN'T MATTER!  
  
Even if she did do...that... she still was good to me. She still read to me as a kid. She still made me soup when I was sick. She helped me learn how to read when I had trouble in elementary school. When Checkers died she hugged me and told me lies about doggie heaven. Even with all the training and leaving me in the jungle that one time, even with her obsession with Ranma, I knew she still loved me.  
  
Did Ranma have any of that?  
  
I don't think he did. Genma wouldn't do it. All of that stuff would make him "weak". Well, so be it. I guess I'm just weak then. I'd rather be weak then not have had it.   
  
Ranma can't ever have any of it. Mom's six feet under. He has no memories of her and he never will.   
  
And that's why I can't hate him anymore no matter how much I might want to.  
  
What do I do now? Tell Ranma and we both can put Genma in a body caste? Tell him nothing and go away to make another life for myself? I have an incomplete education and almost no money. What can I possibly do?   
  
Mom said to "find my father and brother and help them continue the family school" but how do I do that? Would Ranma want a brother? Do I? Will Ukyou hate me EVEN MORE THAN SHE ALREADY DOES when she finds out?   
  
And most importantly...is it getting hot in here?  
  
I picked up another washcloth, dipped it in the water basin, and wiped my own face off with it. Oh great, I might be getting sick too. We probably picked up some kind of prehistoric virus from giant animal land. Whatever it is, it has to be one heck of a virus. I hardly ever get sick...  
  
I start to take my shirt off and hesitate. The thick yellow fabric is starting to feel really warm but, should I really be undressing while a girl is unconscious? I feel creepy about it for some reason. Sure it's just a shirt, and she's not going to see but...Hold up. What's my problem? Guy's on the beach don't wear shirts and it's cool. What would Ukyou say if she was awake?  
  
Heh...she'd probably say: 'SHUT THE HELL UP AND LET ME GO BACK TO SLEEP!'  
  
Oh what the hell. Stop being a pussy Ryouga.  
  
I pulled off the shirt and stuck it beside my futon. Blinking back sleep, I laid down on the bed. I can't go to sleep until her fever breaks. Besides, there are still hours till day break. I have an uncharacteristically large amount of thinking to do before morning.  
  
By then, I'll have made my choice.  
  
----  
  
"Ryouga?"  
  
"Can't...get away from the...birthing hips..."  
  
"What the? Ryouga?"  
  
"No...stay away...ooooh...no! We can't!"  
  
"Ryouuuuuuuggaaaaa?"  
  
"We're too young to...children be too violent..."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Oooh...No! Hey you smell bad..."  
  
"RYOUGA! WAKE UP!"  
  
I sat up.  
  
"AHHHHHHH! WHAT?! WHAT?!"  
  
I blinked back sleep and looked into the face of Ukyou who was standing in the door way. She raised an eyebrow. "What the hell were you dreaming about?"  
  
"Um..." Mind going blank. Excuses failing me...too sleepy to think. "Well um...you see..."  
  
Ukyou held her hand up. "Never mind. I don't want to know. I shall pretend we never had this conversation."  
  
I hung my head. "Thank you."  
  
I glanced at Ukyou from the corner of my eye as I waited for my heart to stop thudding in my ears. She stood in the doorway wearing a robe over a tank top and shorts. I sniffed the air. Her hair was wet and no unearthly smells emanated from her body. Whoa. She must be CLEAN.  
  
Thank the gods.  
  
"Yes yes, I'm CLEAN. Stop sniffing you look like a dog." Ukyou crinkled her nose and the side of her mouth twitched.  
  
I opened my mouth to insult her back and then closed it when she smiled. I shifted how I was sitting. Better change topics instead. "So...feeling better?"  
  
"Yeah." She walked over and plopped down on the futon next to me. "Thanks for the um..." She looked away. "Stuff you did for me during the night."  
  
"You remember?" I looked away too. "No problem. The um...stuff was no big deal."  
  
"Oh okay."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Good."  
  
We stared at the walls for awhile.  
  
"So..."  
  
"So?"  
  
"I know where Ranma and Genma are living," I suddenly blurted out without consulting my brain. I hate it when that happens.  
  
Ukyou's eyes lit up. "What?" She leaned forward eagerly. "How?"  
  
Here we go. Time to try the whole "make up a plan before you act" deal. Hopefully, what I thought up last night will work. "I'll tell you the exact address."  
  
Ukyou was practically drooling. Who's acting like a doggie now?  
  
I made eye contact. "I'll tell you...on two conditions."  
  
"I knew that was too easy." She folded her arms across her chest. "So what will it be? Money? Extortion? Is there someone else you need me to kill first?" Her expression turned deadly. "You don't want...IS THAT WHY THOSE CONDOMS AND PAMPHLETS ARE IN THE CORNER OF THE ROOM?!"  
  
"No! I--"  
  
"Then where did they come from?" She narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Hey! They're from the old woman! She's confused and stupid and--" I stopped as I noticed her shaking with laughter.  
  
Ukyou grinned. "I already know about it. Ha ha..."  
  
"Damn it, woman! Let me finish!"  
  
"Ha ha ha ha. Yes, yes. Go on." Her laughter died off slowly...very slowly. She is an evil evil woman.  
  
I sighed after Ukyou was finally done laughing her ass off at my expense. "The first condition is that you have to take me there too."  
  
Ukyou looked at me like I was insane. Good thing I'm used to that look. "No way!"  
  
"Wait. You can go after him first." I waited for her reaction.  
  
Her expression changed from anger, surprise, and finally to suspicion. She was just a rainbow of emotions today. How great for her. Ukyou's eyebrows crinkled up. "Really?"  
  
I nodded. "Yeah."  
  
She leaned back and seemed to consider it. "What's the second condition?"  
  
"You don't mention me."  
  
She laughed, all the mirth gone from her tone. Her voice sounded like it was laced with vengeance. Ukyou could be wearing oni horns right now and she'd look quite natural. She can be a pretty creepy lady sometimes. "You think he's still going to be around after I'm done with him? What do you expect me to do? Slap him and walk away?"  
  
What was she going to do? Despite her big talk, I don't think she could kill someone. Better keep that to myself, though. Don't' want to mess up the plan. "Do we have a deal or not?"  
  
I could see the wheels turning in Ukyou's head. Hopefully, the hamsters won't get tired before she makes a decision. Finally, she looked up and met my gaze. Her eyes blazed with determination. I made sure not to look away.   
  
Then Ukyou spit on her palm and held out her hand. "Deal?"  
  
I glanced at her hand. "You really did abandon your femininity didn't you?"  
  
"Do we have a deal or not?" She pushed her hand closer.  
  
"Yeah." I spit on my hand and shook hers. "It's a deal."  
  
I snickered. I can't help laughing at the irony of it all. "I guess I'll have to dig three graves."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Never mind."  
  
Tomorrow was going to be one hell of a day.  
  
----  
  
Contact Info:  
  
aol instant messenger: ashes chan  
  
ashez2ashes@yahoo.com  
  
http://www.geocities.com/ashez2ashes  
  
Next chapter: Revenge is at hand. Secrets are revealed. And Genma regrets coming back from his vacation so soon. ^_-  
  
Ryouga: Took you long enough.  
  
Ashez: You have NO idea how close this came to being a lemon. It's best you be quiet.  
  
Ryouga: o_o 


End file.
